GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM), Public Relations Officer, Vishnu Persaud, confirmed yesterday that funds for activities directly related to local government elections, which are budgeted for under “Programme Two” of the Commission’s operations, will be released, once the date for those elections has been set.

He also said GECOM is currently undertaking “routine” preparatory works ahead of hosting local government elections, and that a budgetary allocation of $3.3B for the agency’s administrative and other related costs was approved by Parliament during its considerations of the National Budget.

Of the allocations, $1.7B have been set aside for the commission, and $1.6B for elections administration. Both sums cater to employment costs of 337 employees and other costs; while $126.7M have been earmarked for provision of buildings, a trestle, vehicles, boats, engines, and office furniture and equipment.

The allocation is intended to allow GECOM to exercise general direction and supervision over the registration of electors and the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and local authorities in Guyana.

Last Monday, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Norman Whittaker, rejected the notion that failure to provide a date for the holding of local government election is affecting the functioning of the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) in regard to the election. He stressed that the issue of local government election is a political decision, and that, in having the election, it must be ascertained that all those concerned are ready for it.

Guyana is expected to host local government elections on or before August 1, 2014, following a vote in the National Assembly after rigorous debates over the importance of local government elections to the democracy.

The House passed the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which states that elections must be held on or before August 1, 2014. The August date was made via an amendment to the Bill proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) while the House was in Committee.

Whittaker said GECOM works 365 days a year, and the entity has been conducting its work in regard to holding the elections, including six cycles of continuous registration, addressing the issue of constituencies, and demarcating and establishing boundaries, among other things.
ONGOING REGISTRATION
Part of the routine efforts of the Commission includes the continuous registration cycle, currently ongoing. The sixth cycle of continuous registration has, to date, resulted in the registration of 8,071 more people, according to the GECOM, with 823 transfers due to issues related to change of address, etc, and 1,410 changes/corrections to existing registration information.

Anyone who is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent or naturalization, and was 14 years and older on August 31, 2013; as well as any citizen of a Commonwealth country who has lived in Guyana for one year or more, is 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 18 years old by the qualifying date, the parents or guardians could be prosecuted for failure or refusal to apply for registration. During this process, eligible persons are required to visit the Registration Office that is responsible for their area of residence to make application. 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 or 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 accepted 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 they could apply for correction(s) if there is incorrect information on their National Identity (ID) cards; or they could 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 that on their ID cards is unacceptable; or they could 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 the centre that is responsible for registering them in their area of residence; or they could uplift their national ID cards if they were previously registered and have not done so as yet.

The last cycle of continuous registration was completed in December 2013; this sixth cycle is scheduled to come to an end on June 21.
Written By Vanessa Narine