GECOM Commissioner Robeson Benn threatens GECOM with legal action if it proceeds with house-to-house registration

Benn's Attorney, Anil Nandlall, who is a former Attorney General, has written to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission expressing Benn's objections to the decision to embark on house-to-house registration.

GECOM Commissioner Robeson Benn threatens GECOM with legal action if it proceeds with house-to-house registration

PPP nominated Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission, Robeson Benn, is threatening to file legal action against the same Guyana Elections Commission over the Commission’s decision to proceed with house to house registration.

Benn’s Attorney, Anil Nandlall, who is a former Attorney General, has written to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission expressing Benn’s objections to the decision to embark on house-to-house registration.

Mr. Nandlall in his letter said that it could be disputed that there is need for house-to-house registration to cleanse the voters list of dead persons and persons who have migrated.

He contends that the list can be cleansed of dead persons by a simple engagement between the Chief Elections Officer and the Office of the Registrar General.

That is the same position that has been pushed by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

Nandlall also wrote that the resort to use house-to-house registration to cleanse the list of persons who live out of Guyana is also problematic.

He is of the view that it violates the Constitution and that a Guyanese who is 18-years-old or over must be allowed to vote regardless of whether they live in or out of Guyana.

“Removing persons from the List, who maybe out of Guyana, that agitates my apprehension. In my considered view, such an exercise is fraught with hazards, including, the violation of the Constitution and the constitutional rights of qualified electors to vote and creating the potential for a subsequent vitiation of the entire elections”, Mr. Nandlall wrote.

On behalf of Commissioner Benn, Nandlall said he is requesting the Chairman of the Commission to refrain from moving ahead with the house to house registration process.

He said if there is no move within seven days to stop the process, he will move to the courts.

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