DESPITE the disapproval of the Opposition-nominated Commissioners, advertisements (ads) posted in the media regarding vacancies for personnel to conduct house-to-house registration will continue.
This was according to Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Warde.

She told the newspaper on Monday, March 4, 2019, that the decision to place the ads was based on the Commission’s decision, some two weeks ago, to continue its routine plan for 2019 which includes house-to-house registration.
The ads were placed in the Sunday, March 3, 2019 edition of newspapers and invited applicants to fill the temporary positions of Assistant Registration Officer (ARO) and enumerator for house-to-house registration.

The ARO will come under the supervision of the Registration Officer (RO) and will be responsible for determining the correct registration divisions and validity of registration applications. Such a person will also, among other responsibilities, assist the RO in the management of temporary offices.
Meanwhile, the enumerator will be responsible for conducting preliminary checks for validity of documents presented by applicants and, among other responsibilities, keep a database of photographs taken.

In a release on Sunday, People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Commissioners came against the ads, stating that house-to-house registration was not necessary at this time and that no decision had been taken to commence same.
However, Warde maintained that the GECOM Secretariat was operating based on the Commission’s February 19, 2019 decision, by the voting process, to continue on its 2019 work plan in which house-to-house registration was budgeted for.

“The ads will continue running. There was a vote at the level of the Commission, two weeks ago, where three motions were put forward. One of those motions was for the Secretariat to essentially revert to its 2019 work plan. The 2019 work plan, essentially, was a Claims and Objections exercise and house-to-house registration. That vote has already been carried and it’s now for implementation. So, the ads appearing out there is essentially where implementation commences,” Warde said.

At the last statutory meeting, PPP-nominated Commissioners, Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn, walked out of the meeting following a clash in opinion on how the Commission should continue following the President’s directive to the Commission to commence preparations for the conduct of General and Regional Elections.

Although GECOM’s Chair, retired Justice James Patterson had indicated to the President that elections preparations can be done simultaneously with the 2019 work programme, Opposition Commissioners have stated that they are uninterested in discussing the 2019 work programme.

The full Commission is expected to meet again today at 13:00hrs to continue its deliberations on the matters regarding a way forward.