Guyana’s governing party, the People’s Progressive Party is surprised by the move by the Guyana Elections Commission to begin a Claims and Objections Period for its latest registration exercise in the absence of any announced date for National or Local Government Elections.
At a Monday morning Press Conference, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee said his party will be studying the “constitutional ramifications” of Gecom’s announcement of a claims and objections period at this time. He said the party had raised some concerns about the registration period that recently ended and wanted an extension but that move was blocked by the Elections Commission.
“Gecom, as provided for in the Constitution, manages elections. It does not have the mandate to summon the elections”, Rohee said.
According to the PPP General Secretary, what is more disturbing is that “no one is clear exactly a week before the commencement of the GECOM Claims and Objections period, whether this activity is in anticipation of a general and regional elections or local government elections. This issue is of critical importance and GECOM’s silence is deafening”.
Mr. Rohee said the PPP is concerned because the Local Government Elections would only cover residents of voting age within the six municipalities and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and his party’s worry about over 35,000 persons who are still to be placed within constituencies should not be sidelined.
When quizzed about whether the party would have known of the Claims and Objections period before it was made public, the General Secretary, his party had no knowledge of the move although it has three nominated members on the Elections Commission. He could not say whether those members voted for the beginning of the period or were outvoted in their deliberations.
The Claims and Objections period begins on August 4, and despite the concerns by the party, Mr. Rohee said the PPP would still like to encourage persons to take advantage of the period to ensure all is well with their names on the list. He said persons who would have moved since the last registration period or may have changed their names and those who will now be eligible to vote should all take advantage of the process as announced by GECOM.
The Guyana Elections Commission in full-page ads in the Sunday newspapers, announced the start of the Claims and Objections.
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