Absence of fixed election date does not prevent GECOM from conducting non-statutory preparatory activities

Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your letter columns to given clarity to some misleading matters that were published in the January 8, 2025 edition of <<Guyana Times>>, in an article titled “GECOM awaits official date for E-DAY to formally begin preparations – CEO – as over 2800 transactions facilitated during current Claims & Objections period”.
The article conveys that “formal preparations remain on hold, with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) awaiting an announcement of a date from President Dr Irfaan Ali”. This is ambiguous in relation to the preparation of a workplan (not “war plan”) delineating the statutory activities and their respective enabling administrative tasks for the conduct of the elections. Such a workplan can be prepared only after the President has announced a date for the conduct of General and Regional Elections this year.
However, the absence of a fixed date for the elections does not prohibit the GECOM Secretariat from embarking on the conduct of non-statutory preparatory activities; e.g. developing strategies for procurement, civic and voter education and logistics, and revision of the manuals in line with amendments made to the Representation of the People Act, to be followed by the conduct of training of management staff for the elections.
It follows therefore that there is no issue in regard to GECOM being unable to initiate its official preparations for the elections until the President has announced the official date for the hosting of the elections.
I have absolutely no idea what is meant by the Commission is yet to “receive the formal mandate to proceed with the necessary groundwork”, and I certainly did not provide any such comment to the reporter who spoke with me over the telephone. The reporter did ask about critical (her word) preparations, such as the introduction of cameras at polling stations and the use of biometrics. I responded by emphasizing that: (i) the issue of biometrics was currently engaging the attention of the Commission, and (ii): discussion on the issue of the introduction of cameras at polling stations had not commenced as yet.

Sincerely,
Vishnu Persaud
Chief Election Officer