THE sixth cycle of continuous registration has, to date, resulted in the registration of 4,649 more people, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Mr. Vishnu Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle.He explained that there have been 416 transfers, due to issues related to change of address, etc, and 821 changes/corrections to existing registration information.
Anyone, who is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation and was 14 years and older on August 31, 2013, as well as a citizen of a Commonwealth country, having lived in Guyana for one year or more, was eligible to be registered during this exercise.
Section Six of the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 makes it obligatory for persons who meet the criteria to apply for registration and those eligible could be prosecuted, fined and/or even sent to prison for failing or refusing to apply for registration.
In the case of eligible persons under the age of 18 years by the qualifying date, the parents/guardians could be prosecuted for failure/refusal to apply for registration.
During this process, eligible persons are required to visit the Registration Office that is responsible for their areas of residence to make application.
NAME CHANGE
Such applicants must be in possession of the relevant source documents as might be necessary to support their applications. These are original birth certificate issued by the General Register Office 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, headmasters, village captains/toshaos and justices of the peace 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 name(s) having been changed by marriage or deed poll since they were registered, or apply for correction(s), if there is incorrect information on their National Identity (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 it on their ID cards is unacceptable, or collect their new ID cards if they have not done so as yet.
GECOM has 28 permanent registration offices located in all of the 10 Administrative Regions and persons are required to visit those that are responsible for registering them in their area of residence or uplift their national ID cards if they were previously registered and have not done so as yet.
The last cycle was completed in December 2013 and this sixth cycle is scheduled to come to an end on June 21.
By Vanessa Narine