The Guyana Elections Commission on Monday night sought to address concerns about Bangladeshi nationals voting in Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.
Opposition parties today called on GECOM to come clean over reports of a number of Bangladeshi nationals who were seen being bussed to polling stations to vote.
In some of the Identification Cards posted on social media, it was revealed that some of the ID cards were issued as recent as July.
At a press conference this evening, GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, stressed, that the ID Cards issued to the nationals and labelled “Commonwealth” reflect their legal residency status and are valid for electoral purposes as well.
“Under the laws of Guyana, Commonwealth citizens who have been residing in Guyana for one year or more are eligible to vote,” Ward said.
She stated that the national registration extends eligibility to both Guyanese citizens and Commonwealth Citizens residing in Guyana for more than one year.
“The eligibility for registration is that you must be a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalization or citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more,” she explained.
The GECOM PRO also addressed concerns regarding voters without identification cards, explaining that those persons could have still voted in the elections, once a procedure is followed including answering security questions and the signing of an oath.
Addressing the question of deceased persons names on the voters’ list, Ward noted that names can only be removed when an official death certificate is presented to GECOM and that also has to follow a process.
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