–since start of new exercise Monday
PUBLIC Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vishnu Persaud, yesterday (Saturday), told the Guyana Chronicle that the sixth cycle of continuous registration is progressing smoothly.Anyone who will be 14 years or older by August 31, 2013, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, or naturalisation, or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, is eligible for registration during this exercise.
According to Persaud, the last report on the progress of the registration, indicated that some 529 persons were newly.
The registration process commenced on Monday.
“There have been no negative reports so far,” he said.
Section Six of the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 makes it obligatory for persons who meet the registration criteria to apply for registration.
Persons deemed eligible for registration could be prosecuted, fined and/or even sent to prison for failing or refusing to apply to be registered. In the case of eligible persons under the age of 18 by the qualifying date, the parents/guardians could be prosecuted for failure/refusal to apply for registration.
Persaud said that thus far, there have been 39 transfers, owing to issues related to change of address, etc., and 150 changes/corrections.
The last cycle was completed in December 2013, and this sixth cycle is slated to come to an end on June 21.
During the exercise, persons who are eligible for registration are required to visit the Registration Office that is responsible for their areas of residence to apply for registration. Such persons must be in possession of the relevant source documents as might be necessary to support their applications for registration. These are original birth certificate issued by the General Registrar’s Office (GRO), or a valid Guyana Passport, original marriage certificate (and original birth certificate), in the case of a name change by way of marriage; original deed poll and original birth certificate, in the case of any change of name by deed poll; and original naturalisation certificate issued by the Home Affairs Ministry and original birth certificate/valid passport, in the case of naturalisation. Evidence (photocopy/duplicate) of an application having been made for naturalisation will not be accepted.
Baptismal certificates, expired passports, photocopies of relevant documents or letters from priests, elders, headteachers, village captains/toshaos and Justices of the Peace or existing ID cards will not be acceptable as source documents for registration.
Persons who were already registered could, if necessary, apply for a name change in the case of the change of name(s) by marriage or deed poll since they were registered, or apply for correction(s) if there is incorrect information on their National ID Cards, or apply for a transfer if they have changed their addresses since they were last registered.
Additionally, persons who are already registered could request that their photographs be retaken, if the quality of the photograph on their ID card is unacceptable, or collect their new ID card if they have not done so as yet.
GECOM has 28 permanent registration offices located in all of the 10 administrative regions. Persons are required to visit the registration office that is responsible for the registration of persons in their area of residence to apply for registration or uplift their National Identification Card if they were previously registered and have not done so as yet.