— as house-to-house registration continues

JUST over 174,000 persons have been registered so far through the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s ongoing house-to-house registration exercise.
The figure has jumped by over 20,000 in just three days, proving that persons have been cooperating and getting registered despite calls from the political opposition to boycott the process.

Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Warde, in an invited comment, said the process is going well and people have been cooperating.
Asked how the process has been going in the hinterland, Warde said it has been going well and there have been no complaints so far.

The countrywide house-to-house exercise is in keeping with a decision of the commission on February 19, 2019 and in accordance with Order No. 25 of 2019 dated June 11, 2019.
“Registration is a legal requirement according to the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 and therefore all eligible persons are mandated to register. House-to-house registration is a new registration exercise and therefore all eligible persons must register, even if they were previously registered,” GECOM had asserted.

According to the commission, upon conclusion of this exercise, a new National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB) which is reflective of the current Guyanese population will be created. Subsequently, the OLE will be extracted for the purpose of conducting General and Regional Elections.

“Guyanese citizens by birth, descent, naturalisation or registration, 14 years and older by October 31, 2019 or a citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for a period of no less than one year preceding the qualifying date, are all eligible for registration,” GECOM stated. It has urged residents to have the relevant documents required for registration ready and be on the lookout for GECOM’s registration officials in their area.

Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, had said that the house-to-house registration process has accelerated although Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, challenged the constitutionality of the process.

He challenged the process on the grounds that it is in violation of Article 106 (6) and Article 106 (7) of the Constitution, and the letter and spirit of the judgment and consequential orders of the CCJ in the consolidated appeals.

Ultimately, he wants the court to rule that the national registration exercise is illegal and of no effect. The Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire will hand down her decision in the matter on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 13:30hrs. It appears as though GECOM is also awaiting the ruling to move forward, since it has set its next statutory meeting for August 15.

“Depending on what information is given to the chief justice she will take whatever steps are necessary… we respect that there is a hierarchy of courts, but we trust that we will not have to go all the way,” said Harmon during a post cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.
He believes that house-to-house registration is important because it will ensure that there is a clean Official List of Electors (OLE).