Please permit me a space in your Letter-to-the-Editor column to register a few concerns with the top brass of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Many electors have been frantically scouring Official Lists of Electors (OLEs) to find their names, and much to their frustration, they cannot locate their names. Many persons search the OLEs mounted at places where they traditionally voted to discover the Lists there bear names of persons from other divisions and sub-divisions. Add to these woes the fact that some Polling Places have been changed without notice to the voting public. And when advice is sought from Deputy Returning Officers (DROs), these officers are sharp and uncaring in responding, “I do not know. Go to the GECOM Office!” The result of the aforementioned is chaos on Election Day. There will be scores of persons queuing up to vote at places where they voted previously only to discover that they are no longer listed to vote at such places. I assure you, Messrs Chairman and CEO of GECOM, that persons will not passively accept disenfranchisement from your organisation this time. Not this time!
The call is on the Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, the Commissioners of GECOM, and the GECOM CEO Mr Keith Lowenfield, to immediately demonstrate competence and professionalism in rectifying this situation. There must be adequate supplies of OLEs mounted on all Polling Places where persons are listed to vote. Wherever there is a change in Polling Place, this change MUST be published for the information of the citizenry. DROs must be better informed and able to offer valuable advice, and they need to demonstrate some compassion and empathy in dealing with the public. GECOM must NOT be responsible in the least for the disenfranchisement of a single elector. The last thing GECOM should want is to create an occasion for the electorate to impugn the character of GECOM, and accuse the Elections Commission of nefarious activities.
TABIA DRAKES