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Surujbally assures high measure of precaution against rigging
GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally has assured of the high levels of precaution that have been taken to secure the integrity of its systems.
He gave the assurance at a media briefing, after A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had alleged that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) would rig the November 28 elections through the GECOM systems.
Surujbally said, during planning for the implementation of the civic voter education programmes, GECOM held talks with both Digicel and Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) to advance a system whereby voters, primarily young voters, could access information via their cellphones.
However, that process would have required the telephone companies to run a line into the GECOM database and the agreement fell through.
“We said no,” Surujbally said emphatically.
Making the rigging allegation, APNU had charged that it would be done through a process that will be facilitated by inefficiencies at the GECOM data processing centre.
But its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Vishnu Persaud said GECOM will not respond to ‘maybes’.
“If you have a fear or worry, then give the basis for that fear or worry,” he said, declining to comment further.
APNU, in a statement released to the media, predicted that, come Elections Day:
* PPP activists will intimidate Indo-Guyanese to go out and vote PPP;
* Get PPP-friendly polling officials to mark up ballots for the PPP and
* take care not to raise a red flag by exceeding the Voters List.
APNU said:“Whilst opposition scrutineers may stymie rigging at the polling place, the greatest danger lies at GECOM’s data processing centre. Many IT specialists have advised that GECOM’s software could be compromised and programmed directly or by remote control to steal votes for the PPP.
“We all know that, in recent years, the regime, in tandem with the criminal enterprises, have been involved in tapping the telephones and hacking into the computers of opposition figures.”
APNU called on GECOM to be reminded of its responsibility to ensure that its systems and procedures are strictly adhered to and that every effort is made to ensure that the 2011 General and Regional Elections are conducted in a manner that is demonstrably free and fair and free from fear
