OVER the years when general and regional elections would have been hosted, concerns have been raised regarding how educated the Guyana population was on its rights and procedures to vote. This year is no different, as concerns continue to surface regarding voters’ education, the most recent being raised by the General Secretary of the political coalition ‘A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’, Mr. Joseph Harmon.At his party’s weekly press conference, held at CNS Channel Six last Friday, Harmon noted that, “voters’ education is crucial at this stage”, and added that this just not simply entails “putting something in the newspapers or putting an ad on the television.”

According to Harmon, what is required for proper voter education is getting the message to people in the medium of their choosing and in the manner in which they can understand. He accordingly called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and other stakeholders in the electoral process to “pay specific attention to voters’ education”.

At this crucial time, he said, it is important that emphasis be placed on voters’ education; which he is certain would result in more Guyanese going to the polls on Election Day.

Harmon also related that, to date, his party has met with GECOM on at least three occasions as the two bodies seek to iron out some prevailing issues. He assured that APNU has maintained its belief that GECOM possesses the “competence” to deliver “free, fair and transparent elections.”

Moreover, he added: “We are also on record as saying that there are issues (in relation to) the declaration of results, which (issues) we raised with GECOM, and we are satisfied that they are working on these issues. We are going to meet with GECOM again definitely before May 11, to ensure that those issues which are before us are addressed.

“We believe that there are sufficient processes in place to ensure that we can have fair elections. I believe that all Guyanese should give GECOM the kind of support (it needs) as an independent entity to deliver fair results”, the APNU MP said.