…says GECOM Chairman
A NUMBER of reports about misdemeanours at polling places were quelled last evening by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally, who described them as a storm in a teacup, as he provided yet another elections update.
Dr. Surujbally was at the time speaking to members of the local and regional media at the Pegasus Hotel in the company of Field and Public Relations Officer Vishnu Persaud, a few minutes after the polls were closed.
“We’ve had little episodes of indiscretion, of behaviour that we would consider inimical to an electoral process; but at the end of the day, all controlled, all surmountable,” Dr Surujbally said.
The first, he said, were ongoing reports of voters’ names being absent from the Official List of Electors (OLE) even though they would have produced their identification cards. Dr. Surujbally said such a scenario was impossible and called for the evidence.
“I would love to see even an example… one case where an ID card was produced and that person is not on the list… I’m going to debunk that now in total,” Dr. Surujbally said.
Party agents not being able to vote because of their duty to remain at their posts was another reported issue the GECOM Chairman repudiated. He said that with the staff complement at one polling station, it would be impossible for such a challenge to occur.
He further explained that candidates of political parties are authorised to venture into polling stations and can sit in for a polling agent, who has not yet gone out to exercise his/her franchise.
“The certificate of employment specifically deals with GECOM staff. People who framed the law, framed it with whatever wisdom they had… people might want to revisit that particular law; at this particular point in time we are sticking by it,” Dr. Surujbally said.
There was, however, one reported case of clashes after a candidate, who was required to leave a polling station after a certain time remained for an extended period.
He told members of the media that election agents were briefed in detail by the Chief Elections Officer about their specific role as permitted in the law, and that the incidents were sparked by failure to adhere to such rules.
Sections of the law relating to the obligation of employers permitting their employees to be absent from work on elections day for the sole purpose of casting a ballot was rehashed by Dr. Surujbally, who spoke with dismay about reports of one company not releasing its staff to vote.
A subsequent report was however provided, revealing that the company had provided transportation to take its staff to their respective places of poll.
Dr. Surujbally then cleared the air on other reports about new polling stations emerging, noting that there was a move from one polling division to another building next door. He also debunked allegations of multiple voting at Timehri.
Asked by sections of the media about the possibility of removing the voters’ ink from the index finger, Dr. Surujbally said the silver nitrate content which is over 20 percent was personally tested and would take at least three weeks to be removed.
There was merit in reports about raucousness at some polling stations, and Dr. Surujbally lauded political parties for denying any involvement. The disturbances had nevertheless resulted in a few of the electors not gaining access. (GINA)