–  expresses strong views on different aspects of elections process
CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally, maintains that the Commission is guided by international best practices and expressed strong views on everything from need for the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) to be re-established to the good stewardship of the finances at the Commission’s disposal.
He was speaking at the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), when he stressed that all stakeholders must work towards ensuring that this year’s elections should see the consolidation of the gains made in 2006, as Guyana continues to move forward.

The GECOM Chairman contends that the disbanded, independent MMU needs to be reestablished.
The MMU was working with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and ceased operations in July last year, and Surujbally noted that a letter asking that the unit be re-established had been sent to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon.
While he expressed optimism that the MMU will be operational a few months before the hosting of elections, Surujbally reiterated that the MMU will also support the efficient conduct of the general elections process – a value that cannot be overstated.
The MMU was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It was staffed by six individuals employed on a contractual basis with the understanding that the project could cease, dependent on various factors. The role of the unit was to monitor the output of media houses and address any breaches of the Media Code of Conduct. The MMU had revised the Media Code of Conduct and based its operations on the new document.
Any breech was noted and brought to the attention of the media house in an effort to promote responsible practices within the media corps – in line with the unit’s objective.
According to the GECOM Chairman, the success of the 2006 elections process was largely due to the success of the MMU, which ensured that “the media behaved itself.”
He explained that having a code of conduct developed by the media houses themselves worked better than having legislation imposed.
“Coercion is not the way,” the GECOM Chairman stressed.
In a report by the MMU after the 2006 election, it said, “The first ten days after Nomination were remarkable in some respects for all media houses. In this period, the Media Monitoring Unit failed to find any grievous breach of the Media Code of Conduct in terms of content. In terms of balance, there was, in the majority of cases, a most welcome and in some cases almost startling shift towards equitable coverage.”
It added that, altogether, the performance of the media was creditable and was a vast difference from what was seen in 2001.

Funding

On the note of funding, Surujbally said the finances provided for the Commission in the 2011 Budget is sufficient, and maintained that the monies at the Commission’s disposal were subject to good stewardship.
He lashed out at the criticisms that GECOM is squandering its finances and stressed that accountability is a priority of the Commission.
Surujbally pointed to the fact that there are a number of scrutineers that the political parties insist on.
“People should have confidence in GECOM,” he posited.
According to him, the Commission caters to the needs of all stakeholders.
Surujbally contends that any number of persons to be auxiliary to GECOM is welcome.
The GECOM Chairman stated that apart from local observers, the Organisation of American States (OAS) will also be an observer that will function within the parameters of a code of conduct.
“We think we are doing it right,” Surujbally quipped.
According to him, the Commission is also working on finalising logistical plans, looking at the procurement of sensitive and non-sensitive elections material, in the process of producing instruction manuals for elections day staff and training and hiring elections day staff.
Surujbally pointed out that GECOM becomes the largest employer of labour on elections day, and stressed that the hiring and training of the staff is a process that takes time.
On that note, he maintained that even if it is a flyer that is being distributed by someone who claims to be an employee of GECOM, that person will be recognised by an identification badge – one of a menu of measures to ensure legitimacy in the elections process.
He made it clear that the Commission’s preparations for the 2011 elections are proceeding well.

33 Registered Political Parties

Surujbally noted that there are some 33 political parties that have been registered with the Commission and added that all stakeholders are provided with the relevant information needed.
Addressing the issues of verification of the Commission’s work, particularly the elections list, Surujbally made it clear that the Commission has a number of measures to prevent what is a major concern, multiple voting.
He added that another concern, the number of persons that are unregistered because of lack of source documents, is still a concern.
He stated that there are some 38,000 persons that are still not registered.
“We have provided the political parties in Parliament with the list of these persons. I know the GRO and others have been working assiduously to get people registered,” he said.
Surujbally also commented on the number of uncollected identification cards, which now number 30,000, and made it clear that the old cards will be decommissioned.
Surujbally also announced that over 490,000 persons have been registered and added that another 10,000 more are likely to be registered at the end of the Claims and Objections period, which started in April this year.
Elections are constitutionally due every five years and are likely before the end of the year.
The GECOM Chairman said, “The elections process should not be a circus, but a peaceful process…there should be no noise, no havoc nor chaos.”