….boasts Chairman Dr Surujbally
AFTER almost seventy two hours of anxiously awaiting the results for the 2011 general and regional elections, scores of media practitioners and stakeholders were summoned to the GECOM media center for the official announcement.
They gathered at the Pegasus Hotel suite for 14:00hrs, as requested, and were seated by that time, awaiting the arrival of the Chief Elections Officer and the commissioners.
Then, at 14:17hrs, they were told that the results would be further delayed, as the Chief Elections Officer, Gocool Boodoo, and the commissioners were locked in a meeting.
This happened again at 14:45hrs and at 15:30hrs, by which time their frustration was beginning to show.
Then GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally entered the room and the wait was ended.

The Chairman’s arrival was interrupted by a colourful character, a self pronounced “king of kings”, who provided the exhausted mass with a much needed moment of levity.
NEAR IMPECCABLE
Surujbally said GECOM is proud to have delivered near impeccable National and Regional Elections for 2011.
He acknowledged that elections are the “singularly most important tile in the complex mosiac of democracy” which is enough reason to ensure that the results announced are accurate and that they have been conducted according to the required procedures.
This, he said, is reason enough for the citizens of Guyana to understand the need for an accurate declaration.
He explained, “Some might have been impatient, but ladies and gentlemen, think about the alternative, if we did not pursue the path we did, if we were to make unsubstantiated and incorrect declarations the possible effects could be  hideous and too tragic to contemplate.
“The results would have been declared, but then apart from being  in contravention of the laws associated with  the declaration of results, that would be a recipe for disaster and only ill-informed people could  advocate such a proposal.
In addition, Surujbally assured that GECOM  had held  firm to its mandate and to the law that govern its  actions and methodologies, “even in the face of flack from an uncomprehending and at times unsympathetic public.”
“I am not aware of any political party, even remotely by influence, suggested any departure from the legal procedure. In fact, just the opposite, the political parties are telling us stay by the law,” he explained.
The chairman emphasized that GECOM was not and never will be involved, as has been suggested, in any  “clandestine  machinations” with any  political party nor do they rig elections.
He expressed gratitude to the GECOM staff and their families for all their hard work and sacrifice over the past five years, particularly under the leadership of the Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Gocool Boodoo.
“We have remained  dedicated and committed to ensuring that every  electorate gets that satisfaction, it must be understandable and acceptable to all that if it  takes two and a half days to arrive at the  final, incontestable correctness of the results, then no one should be  disheartened or disgruntled.”
Surujbally announced that, in recognition of the fact that we are in the electronic age, efforts will be made to launch a pilot project to develop an electronic voting system, come next year.
He explained, “It has been proven in places like India, that760 million people voted and by evening the results are known; accordingly, I give   a commitment that I will try my utmost to pursue an initiative for a pilot project to carry out an electronic voting system when we embark on the preparation for local government elections next year.”
He urged the relevant stakeholders to support this initiative and reminded that GECOM cannot be subverted, influenced nor bullied.