THE ruling party Tuesday called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to extend its sixth cycle of continuous registration, which ended on Saturday, June 21.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Vishnu Persaud confirmed last week that in the sixth cycle of continuous registration up to June 18, 2014, there were registrations of some 13,023 new persons, 11,544 of whom have already been verified. He also told this newspaper that of the total, there have been 1,662 transfers, owing to issues related to change of address, and 2,347 changes/corrections to existing registration information.
According to the People’s Progressive Party, its call for an extension is to accommodate an estimated 8,389 transfers, which were not done in the last five continuous registration cycles and are yet to be done.
In a statement the party said, “The Peoples’ Progressive Party last Friday wrote to the Guyana Elections Commission seeking an extension to the 6th Cycle of Continuous Registration which concluded on Saturday 21st June, 2014, because it is concerned that there may be more than 8,000 transfers yet to be done, owing to the fact that there are numerous new housing schemes in all the coastal regions in Guyana and also in the hinterland, such as, in Region # 9.
“During the last five cycles of Registrations, transfers were not done. However this was accommodated in the 6th Cycle of Registration, but GECOM was unable to accommodate everyone to be on the list in the area in which he or she currently resides.”

MOBILE UNITS
The PPP highlighted that an issue of concern is the need for mobile units in the many new housing schemes.

Therefore, the party proposed that mobile units be set up in the new housing schemes.
The PPP said, “The indications are that the GECOM public relation was poor and only a few persons were aware, and also the time when the mobile units were in the schemes, many persons were at work.
“Further, as was stated earlier, transfers were not part of previous cycles; hence it’s a new initiative which should have had the support of wider publicity.”
According to the party, its activists and supporters have provided rough estimates on the number of transfers that need to be done.
These include:
* Region 1 (Barima/Waini) – 140 transfers;
* Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) -220 transfers;
* Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) – 2,140 transfers, owing to the five New Housing Schemes (Zeelugt North and South Housing Schemes, Tuschen Housing Scheme, De Willem Housing Scheme, Par Fait Harmony and Belle West);
* Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) – 2,940 transfers with nine New Housing Schemes (Soesdyke/Ivann Scheme, Diamond /Grove Scheme, Providence /Herstelling Scheme, Eccles New Scheme, Mon Repos Housing Scheme, Good Hope Housing Scheme, Foulis Housing Scheme ,Hope Low Land and Grassfield);
* Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) – 324 (This Region has four new housing schemes – Experiment Housing Scheme, Hope Housing Scheme, Waterloo and Block D Housing Schemes);
* Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) – 2,170 transfers with four new housing schemes (No.76 Housing Scheme, Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, Ankerville Housing Scheme and Glasgow Housing Scheme);
* Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) – 75 transfers;
* Region 8 (Pataro/Siparuni) – 60 transfers;
* Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) – 70 transfers; and
* Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) – 250 transfers.
“The Peoples’ Progressive Party wishes once again to urge GECOM to ensure that no one should be disenfranchised so that when elections are called whether Local Government or General, and Regional Elections, everyone eligible to participate should be able to exercise his/her franchise,” the ruling party stressed.
Written By Sandy Agasen