FORMER Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally , was last month internationally recognised for his work with elections when he received the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) Award for Sustained Achievement in the Field of Election Management at the International Electoral Awards (IEA) ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique.
The awards ceremony, which was held concurrently with the 13th International Electoral Affairs Symposium, saw individuals and elections commissions from over 30 countries being a part of the prestigious event.

A total of 13 awards, and several recognition honours, relative to election management bodies were presented at the ceremony.
And while there were several candidates from which winners for the other categories were selected, Dr Surujbally was solely selected for his award, in celebration of his excellence within the electoral management arena over the last decade and a half.
Dr. Surujbally, a veterinarian, has directed the elections commission since the early 2000s, resigning from the post last year November.

On presenting the trophy to Dr Surujbally, Chairman and Chief Executive of the ICPS, Matt Gokhool, expressed his “hope that the recognition of the accomplishments of this year’s awardee will serve as a beacon for his peers in the field of electoral management.”
On accepting the award, Dr Surujbally remarked that he stood on the stage only as the symbolic recipient of the award, accepting it on behalf of the GECOM, and it’s committed and dedicated staff, which he had the privilege to lead for more than 15 years.

Other awards given out included Electoral Commissioner of the Year Award” copped by India’s Dr Syed Nasim Zaidi; “Gender Equality Award” going to Nepal’s Ila Sharma; and the “Award for Extraordinary Achievements Towards the Country’s Transition to Democracy,” which was won by Nigeria’s Barthelemy Kere.
The “Electoral Conflict Management Award” went to the Central Elections Commission of Palestine, and Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) won the “Electoral Commission of the Year Award.”

The 2016 IEA committee consisted of eight illustrious and high-level professionals, including experts from the Division for Referenda and Elections (Council of Europe).
The ICPS has held International Electoral Affairs Symposiums and IEA ceremonies all over the world, including Malaysia, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa and Jamaica.
The symposium brings together international election management bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), donor agencies and other relevant stakeholders to share their experiences, discuss the ongoing challenges in election management and strengthen international relations.

The ICPS is an organisation that works to promote effective policy-making and good governance through better interaction between parliaments, governments and other stakeholders in society, said the body’s website.
The centre’s primary focus is the empowerment of human capital through capacity-building. To this end, the centre organises a range of training programmes, conferences and policy discussions to address current public policy issues on the international stage, in the European Union and the UK.

These provide a forum for policy discussion, debate, networking and sharing of best practices.