Stabroek News, Surujbally deliberately misleading citizens

WHERE does the truth lie regarding the readiness of GECOM to competently hold Local Government Elections?

The answer is vitally important in the face of the bold daily campaign being waged by the Opposition mouth piece, the Stabroek News, to have these polls and in the process castigating the central government for the delay in setting a date for the vote to be taken.
Three members sitting as Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have sounded grave concerns about statements to the effect that the Elections Commission is currently in a state of readiness. They have cited a number of critical deficiencies in the operations that pose a threat to acceptable efficiency.
Naturally, the Stabroek News, which has been most vocal in calling for a date to be set to hold Local Government Elections, has devoted a lengthy Editorial in what has come across as a desperate effort in denouncing the statement issued by the three Commissioners, simply by characterising the eight significant items of concern as matters of routine action that will have to be taken by GECOM.
To recognise the matters as routine is ridiculously false, but the fact is that substantial work has to be devoted towards fixing the cited deficiencies, unambiguously indicate that GECOM is palpably not ready to hold elections.
The Stabroek News has exposed its questionable and malicious campaign against the Government of deliberately delaying calling a date on which elections can be held.
Extreme measures are being suggested by Stabroek News that should be adopted by the Opposition political parties in order to force the hands of the Government to call elections.
This is quite laughable. Imagine setting up the Opposition to expose themselves to ridicule in view of tremendous burden of various actions that have to be taken before elections can be called, for instance, key legislative issues, including Lacunae Laws affecting Local Government, constituency matters of varying issues, satisfactory electoral lists to be completed, et al.
Despite the foregoing, we now have the spectacle of the Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally entering the fray with the astounding claim that GECOM is “fully ready” but his detailed explanations on the status on aspects affecting readiness, you find in fact that key personnel in at least one sensitive position is yet to be identified, together with the Lacunae legislation requirement remain outstanding issues.
It is a clear case of not being fully ready.

(By David DeGroot)