GECOM to pronounce tomorrow on reopening of ‘Claims and Objection’ exercise
RESIDENTS of First Street, Grove Squatting Area on Friday accorded a warm welcome to People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Donald Ramotar and officials from various government agencies during a walkabout in the East Bank community. Heartened by the cordial reception, Mr. Ramotar and his walkabout colleagues jovially responded in kind, shaking hands with as many residents as they could, and having a quiet word with them.      
Friday’s ‘walkabout’ in the Grove community was one of several such jaunts being undertaken of late by Mr. Ramotar and government ministers, in a bid to heighten their regular ‘fan out’ campaigns, particularly as election-time nears.
Residents, including many children, lined the streets Friday in an effort to speak with the visiting officials. Some commended the delegation for finding the time to meet with them on their turf; others spoke of issues affecting their community; while yet others expressed conviction that the PPP/C will win the upcoming elections.
Lapsing momentarily into creolese, Mr. Ramotar said by way of greeting residents: “How all’yuh doing, nuh?” He also enquired of them in many instances whether they had gotten their Identification Cards as yet, before painstakingly explaining the process of getting registered, while encouraging the residents to get in touch with the authorities if they become aware of anyone who may not presently be registered. 
He assured one resident that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be announcing tomorrow whether it will be reopening the ‘Claims and Objections’ exercise so that more people could be placed on the voters list.
Among other concerns that were raised with the presidential hopeful and his entourage other than those mentioned before had to do with the lack of proper drainage, old age pensions, access to potable water, and garbage disposal. 
Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran; Chief Occupational Health and Safety Officer at the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Yoganand Persaud; and Information Liaison to the President, Mr. Kwame McCoy, were among some of those who accompanied Mr. Ramotar on the Grove ‘walkabout’.
Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle during the course of the exercise that he was there to learn of some of the problems residents in the recently regularized community were having in the hope that they could be addressed by his sector.
Dr. Ramsaran, on the other hand, spoke about the fact that there are about 15 to 20 ‘walkabouts’ being conducted at present in other areas across the country, among them Cove and John, Nabacalis and Enmore, all East Coast Demerara villages.
“A few months ago, we started with the house-to-house campaign. Then we started meeting people under the bottom-houses. Now the tempo is up,” Ramsaran said, adding that some people had questions about the electoral list and the relevant source documents. 
He said that as a party that has always been known to be “a grass-root party,” the PPP/C has always been interested in listening to people’s concerns, and that it does so not only happen around election-time. 
Regarding the community visits, Ramsaran said a huge schedule is being managed by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, who is in charge of public awareness.
He described the outreaches done so far as “good, fact-finding missions” which have exposed how some of those in charge in the community have “failed the administration,” and how simple issues could be ironed out almost immediately.
Furthermore, he said those to be dealt with on a long-term basis are also brought to the attention of the authorities through these visits.
Ramsaran described Friday’s exercise as one of the largest activities so far, and a huge success.