GENERAL SECRETARY of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clement Rohee yesterday reiterated the Party’s call for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to make clear its readiness for Local Government Elections.

“The PPP has noted that the Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally has been making public statements on all aspects of the electoral process, lecturing the political parties on the Constitution and formulae and principles for democratic elections and governance,” he said Monday at his weekly news conference.
“What the PPP has observed in all the media hype by GECOM and its Chairman is the absence of updates on the education of Guyanese in addressing the outstanding issues concerning local government elections,”Rohee said.

ROADMAP ABSENT
According to the PPP General Secretary, absent from the many PR briefs is the blueprint, or GECOM‘s roadmap, for Local Government Elections.
“One would have expected that the fifteen-plus issues which the PPP raised concerning the preparations for Local Government Elections would have formed a regular stream of communications from GECOM to the public and to the political parties, but this has not happened,” he said.
Rohee stressed that these are issues that the PPP demands that GECOM address, in a “frank and open” manner.
“A simple reminder of the most fundamental issue with regards to the holding of Local Government Elections is that of having an accurate Voters’ List for each constituency. GECOM was preparing for Local Government Elections since 2009, so one can assume that these lists are available,” he said.
The General Secretary stated that it is “mind- boggling” how six months will fix what six years did not fix.

PPP IS READY
“GECOM must provide direct and specific answers to the populace on these fundamental and critical issues,” Rohee concluded, adding that the PPP is ready for elections.
Calls to solicit a response from GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Richard Francois, went unanswered.