PEOPLE’S Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Sase Gunraj has expressed confidence that the Commission is making steady progress towards its deliverables to successfully hold the General and Regional Elections on September 1.
Gunraj, during a virtual briefing following a statutory meeting on Thursday, noted that while several concerns and objections were made during yesterday’s meeting, GECOM has indicated everything is progressing well.
“I specifically inquired of the chief elections officer of the progress in relation to preparation for elections,” Gunraj told reporters.
“I specifically also inquired whether any input at this stage was required from the Commission, and the answer was in the negative… I believe that we are well on our way as far as the timeline is concerned, to successfully holding those elections, slated for September 1.”
Meanwhile, Gunraj noted that the central issues highlighted this week were voting rights for prisoners, the ability of polling agents to vote, and voting eligibility of Commonwealth citizens residing in Guyana.
The opposition-nominated commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman made calls for GECOM to implement systems that would allow prisoners to vote.
Renewed concerns were also raised about polling agents being unable to vote at polling stations where they are not registered but are assigned to work on elections day.
Gunraj noted that the matter of polling agents has been around since 2011, and was resolved during the 2015 and 2020 elections, with legislation being amended to allow political parties to have a primary polling agent and alternate polling agent being assigned to a polling station.
“Now a party is allowed to appoint a polling agent and an alternate polling agent. Of course, both polling agents can’t be in the polling station at the same time, but that facility is available to allow political parties to have a second polling agent.”
In relation to the concerns raised about provisions being made for prisoners to vote, Gunraj explained that GECOM’s ‘hands are tied’ on that matter.
He explained that it is not a matter of anyone’s rights being taken away, but rather of legislation, as there is an absence of a law that provides guidance on voting rights for incarcerated citizens.
“GECOM’s hands are tied; we’re not taking away anyone’s right to vote, but in the absence of legislation covering voting rights for incarcerated persons, we cannot make up rules to facilitate that. GECOM doesn’t make laws,” he explained.
On the matter of Commonwealth voters’ eligibility, Gunraj said: “This is not unique to Guyana; it is a provision mirrored in several other Commonwealth jurisdictions.”
Another matter that was discussed was the stamping of ballots. Gunraj explained that the commissioners agreed on a process where, once a ballot is unfolded, if only one half is stamped before separation, the presiding officer will ensure that the second half is also stamped prior to final separation.
