Share
GECOM gives greenlight for more party agents to accompany ballot boxes

GECOM gives greenlight for more party agents to accompany ballot boxes

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has made provision for additional agents of political parties to accompany Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) in their receipt and transmission of ballot boxes and Statements of Polls (SOPs) on Elections Day.

Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, said, on Friday, the decision was meant to ensure that there was full transparency at every step of the process. “The Commission, at its deliberation yesterday, agreed that there should be another layer of agents and these agents will be the ones who will specifically be accompanying the Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) from their offices as they uplift the Statements of Polls (SOPs) and the boxes from the POs,” Lowenfield said.

“The Commission has agreed in its wisdom that there should be another layer of agents from the political parties who will accompany the DROs as they receive the boxes and statements for onward transmission to Returning Officers and the Returning Officers will ensure that those Statements received for the CEO are distributed to him in a timely manner.”

PREPARATION ‘ADVANCED’

Meanwhile, he also stated that preparation levels at the Commission are “very advanced” for the commencement of polls on time on E-Day. At the time of his remarks he said that, in districts across the country, the contents of respective boxes were being counted by Presiding Officers (POs) and these boxes were being secured at their locations to be deployed as early as today (Saturday) based on how far these boxes must travel.

During transportation to the various polling stations, the boxes will be accompanied by POs and security ranks and GECOM intends that every box will be at its station by the opening of polls on Monday. While there are challenges with regards to the present shallow waters in the Mazaruni region, the CEO said that, notwithstanding the state of the river, the Commission will make every effort to get to its locations on time. He said: “We’re aware of the fiscal challenges across Guyana and we have made arrangements to ensure our Presiding Officers accompanied by ranks from the Police Force depart early enough to ensure that we get there…to facilitate early commencement on the day.”

The CEO said that the Commission hopes to produce an election result as soon as possible following the close of polls but factors such as a request/s of a recount of votes is out of the Commission’s control. Guyanese will go to the polls on Monday, March 2, 2020 to cast their ballots in the General and Regional Elections. Nine parties are contesting the General Elections and 11, the Regional Elections.

Leave a Comment