“Voters must be aware of what to expect from GECOM polling day staff

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The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is urging the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to commence an “aggressive” voters’ education programme.The Party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee said that GECOM “must” do this to sensitize voters about Election Day procedures as well as the rights of voters at polling places.Rohee said, “Voters must be aware of what to expect from GECOM polling day staff, for instance, stamping of the Ballot with the official stamp. One can recall the Herstelling fiasco in the 2011 Elections where 19 ballots papers were given to 19 individual voters without the Presiding or Assistant Presiding officer stamping them; this rendered the ballots rejected thus denying the democratic rights of 19 hardworking Guyanese.”Rohee added that the PPP has noted “with concern,” the continuous extension to GECOM’s vacancy notice for polling day staff.He urged qualified and competent persons desirous of safeguarding Guyana’s democracy to apply for the post “so that suitably qualified persons are recruited to work on polling day.”Rohee also reiterated his Party’s call on GECOM to have public vetting of persons employed or who have applied to be employed to work on Election Day.This call has been made and remade several months. Rohee told the media, on Tuesday last, that public vetting will “justify the transparency of the process and enhance the confidence of the electorate in GECOM’s ability to deliver a free and fair election on May 11. Guyanese must demand public knowledge of all polling day staff since this should be of no secret to the populace.”The General Secretary said that GECOM must ensure that all polling places are checked and verified as quickly as possible and residents are made aware of these locations.“Again, the PPP is wary of GECOM’s last minute changes to the location of polling stations, which add to the frustration of voters. GECOM had agreed to minimize changes,” said Rohee.Rohee added that the PPP is seriously concerned over the use of Information Clerks at polling places with more than one polling station. This, he said, is due to the “bitter experiences of the 2011 elections and the confusion and frustration created by these information clerks, whether deliberate or not.