COMMISSIONERS of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) met, for their regular statutory meeting yesterday.
But, although the commencement of the Claims and Objections Process was an issue on the main agenda, Public Relations Officer, Mr. Vishnu Persaud said that GECOM will be better poised to give details on the outcome today.
The Claims and Objections procedure is a mandatory exercise in preparation for the upcoming general elections and persons 18 years old and over would be given the opportunity to apply for registration. But they must be in possession of birth certificates or valid passports and other supporting documents, such as marriage certificates or deed polls, as might be necessary.
However, it is estimated that, while more than 9,000 people are eligible to be registered and placed on the voters’ list, they are not in possession of birth certificates or necessary documentation.
GECOM has acknowledged that, during the conduct of the 2008 house-to-house registration, thousands of people could not apply for the registration, as provided for under the National Registration Act Chapter 19:08, because they were not in possession of their birth certificates.
The parliamentary political parties agreed that only original birth certificates and valid passports, together with supporting documents, like marriage certificates and deed polls, would be accepted for registration.
The political parties were also in agreement that baptismal certificates, expired passports, photocopies of relevant documents or letters from priests, elders, headmasters, village captains/toshaos and Justices of the Peace (JPs) or existing identification (ID) cards will not be acceptable for the purpose.
GECOM said, once an acceptable List of Electors is finalised, it would form the basis for conducting the elections.