THE ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) called last week on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to extend its sixth cycle of continuous registration, which ended on Saturday, June 21.

The call was so as to accommodate an estimated 8,389 transfers which had not been done in the last five continuous registration cycles, and are yet to be done. But GECOM has decided at its weekly meeting on Tuesday not to accommodate the request, since it was made after the process had been closed.

In a comment invited by this publication yesterday, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Vishnu Persaud explained that an extension could only have been considered during the sixth registration cycle, not after the process had ended.

He said the ruling party’s call for an extension was made by letter dated June 20, and was delivered at the residence of GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally.

“The Chairman was out of the jurisdiction at the time the letter was delivered, and the Commission does not meet in the absence of Dr. Surujbally; so the request could not be entertained,” Persaud explained.

As such, the sixth registration cycle ended as scheduled, on June 21.

Persaud confirmed that at the end of that registration cycle, some 14,981 new persons had been registered, 14,942 of whom have already been verified. He also told this newspaper that, of the total, there have been 2,004 transfers owing to issues related to change of address, and 2,747 changes/corrections to existing registration information.

[box type=”shadow” align=”alignright” ] ‘The decision (not to extend) was taken with the consideration (that) opportunities for people will be provided during the next registration exercise, which is imminent’  – GECOM PRO Vishnu Persaud[/box]

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
Persaud made clear that the decision not to extend the sixth cycle of continuous registration would have no material effect, as another such cycle will commence shortly.

“The decision (not to extend the registration cycle) was taken with the consideration (that) opportunities for people will be provided during the next registration exercise, which is imminent,” he said.

When the next registration cycle has been announced, persons who are eligible for registration would be required to visit the Registration Office that is responsible for their area of residence to apply for registration.

“The Commission will be writing (the) PPP accordingly,” Persaud said.

GECOM also advises that persons wishing to make use of the continuous registration process must be in possession of the relevant source documents necessary to support their applications for registration. These are: original birth certificate issued by the General Registrar’s 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, or existing ID cards will not be acceptable as source documents for registration.

Persons who had already been registered could, if necessary, apply for a name change in the case of that having taken place by marriage or deed poll since they had been registered; or they could apply for correction(s), if there is incorrect information on their National ID cards; or they could apply for a transfer if their addresses have been changed 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 cards is unacceptable; or they could collect their new ID cards if they have not done so as yet.

There are 28 permanent GECOM registration offices located in the 10 administrative regions, and a person is required to visit the one that is responsible for registration in their area of residence to apply for registration, or uplift their National Identification Card if they had previously been registered and had not yet uplifted their ID Card.
Written By Vanessa Narine