STAFFERS of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) worked until the wee hours of yesterday morning, up to 4:00 am, to review the lists of candidates submitted by eight political contenders in the 2015 elections race.The disclosure was made by the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, who added that the vetting process has included the corrections of omissions, as well as clarifications from the political parties.

He maintains that his team is an “exact” group who are committed to “ensuring that all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted.”
According to GECOM, once the checks are completed and the lists are signed off by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, the approved lists will be published.
In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six (6) of the Geographical Constituencies — totalling at least 13 seats — for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies Lists and National Top-up Lists. This arrangement will provide for qualified contesting parties to submit, on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates. Any political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day.
The parties submitting their National Top-up List, Geographical Constituencies List, and Regional Democratic Council Lists included: The United Force (TUF); the Healing The Nation Theocracy Party (HTNT); the United Republican Party (URP); the Independent Party (IP); the Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP); and the National Independence Party (NIP).
The two major political contenders are the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). (Vanessa Narine)