– says GECOM will review procurement process

By Rabindra Rooplall
THE country’s elections body has agreed to review the processes leading to the procurement of ballot paper for use in this month’s Local Government Elections (LGE).Representatives of the opposition People’s Progress Party (PPP) who sit on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have raised serious questions regarding the procurement of ballot papers, which reportedly cost US$500, 000.

“We have taken a decision; all six commissioners without exception have agreed that this particular procurement of ballot papers and materials for this year and the whole process of when it started to when it arrived needs to be investigated,” said GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick.

Shadick and the PPP’s other Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn addressed the issue at a press conference at the PPP’s Freedom House headquarters in Georgetown.

She said that the commissioners have expressed concerns that the appropriate and transparent procurement practices were not followed by GECOM, which will administer Local Government elections on March 18.

“The just concluded procurement of ballot papers and other election materials from printers in Canada for the imminent LGE has given cause for serious alarm,” Shadick stated.

She said that though the materials arrived on time, the estimated cost increased overall more than 25% compared to what was spent to hold general and regional elections last May.

Shadick, an attorney-at-law, said recently that she along with other commissioners were at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to observe the arrival of ballot papers, statements of poll and tally sheets from Canada.

Shadick said she took photos and these will be included in the report that would be sent to the forensic auditors.

She said GECOM is a budget agency that is allowed to draw down funds directly from the Consolidated Fund and as such there is need for greater scrutiny of accountability procedures.

The commissioners also noted that $6M was expended on a lawyer without the body’s approval.

After calling for a full investigation into the process, the PPP/C-nominated commissioners stated that GECOM has no proper procurement system or process, since the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) should be used to place all tenders surpassing certain amounts.