The Guyana Elections Commission has started a house to house verification of the new registrants for the upcoming elections.

There are just over 20,000 new registrants and GECOM has given itself five days to verify their existence. The verification process started today.

Chairperson of the Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh said her decision to support the verification of the names of new registrations was based on the need for transparency.

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was pushing for full verification of the new registrants.

The chairwoman sided with the opposition nominated Commissioners of GECOM and voted for the verification to be completed at GECOM’s last statutory meeting.

“I ruled in the interest of transparency and because I would like a credible list. I would like all to have a level playing field. In the end, no one can complain that GECOM did something that was just foisted on them without having the new registrants fully verified,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield confirmed that the exercise will end on Sunday.

“We will be moving to ensure that those persons are found. If not found, then the commission at the next statuary meeting will deliberate on further actions to be taken for those persons,” he added.

The verifications will take place in various parts of the country stretching all the way from Region One as far as Moruca to Wismar in Region Ten and New Amsterdam in Region Six.

The largest number of verifications have to be completed on the East Coast of Demerara and in the Better Hope Sub District.

“The Commission as is indicated in our work plan, will be provided with reports for them to make a determination on our committal of those individuals for the production of our official list of electors. It is imperative that the decision be made over that period because our work plan indicates that we should start production or printing of the revised list of electors on or before December 29, 2019.”

GECOM has indicated that it remains on schedule for elections on March 2, 2020.  

Related posts:

GECOM unable to verify 6500 new registrants; Persons not at home during the verification exercise GECOM votes to verify names of new registrants; Process likely to begin Wednesday PPP against merger of data from H2H with National Register of Registrants PSC very concerned about old National Register of Registrants being scrapped