AS per statutory requirements, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is scheduled to complete its vetting of the lists of candidates submitted by political parties for the 2015 General and Regional Elections, today.
This was confirmed by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, when asked by the Guyana Chronicle yesterday.
The Representation of the People Act, Section 14 states that: “The Chief Elections Officer shall, no later than the 30th day before election day, so inform the representative and the deputy representative of the list, specifying the defects [if any].”
Given that May 11 is Election Day, the 30th day before the Election Day – as stipulated by the Act – is today, April 11.
Once the checks are completed and the lists are signed off by 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 Lists, Geographical Constituencies Lists, 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)