Beware of persons posing as GECOM staff – entity warns

The Guyana Elections Commission has sent out a warning to the public, urging to be on the lookout for persons who are posing as representatives of the agency.
It was indicated that citizens from Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), contacted the Commission’s Secretariat to “query the nature of the exercise after being visited by persons purported to be from the Commission”.
As such, persons are urged not to divulge any personal information to these persons, who are clearly not associated with the agency.
“Please be advised that the Commission is not engaged in any such field exercise and is, therefore, urging citizens to be extremely cautious and not to provide any information (to) those persons as their motive is unknown and can be potentially harmful,” the Commission said on Wednesday.
Since the successful passage of the no-confidence resolution on December 21, 2018, elections are to be called in three months.
A meeting was facilitated between GECOM and Chief Whips, Gail Teixeira and Amna Ally, which ended abruptly on Friday when Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson refused to entertain further questions about the Commission’s preparations for the constitutionally mandated elections.
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated commissioners on the GECOM are contending that far from the view being expressed by GECOM and Government officials, elections can be held by March 19.
Commissioner Sase Gunraj since said that GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield has been creating an impression that there is not enough time to complete various tasks before elections. But according to him, these tasks can be completed simultaneously.
Just a few weeks before, GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward told Guyana Times that the entity will deliver once a date is set for fresh polls.
“It’s our constitutional mandate to conduct General and Regional Elections as well as Local Government Elections. If that is the decision that we will have to conduct elections within a short period, then we will have to ensure that those elections are held as required, because it’s our constitutional mandate. I’m sure that our Standard Operating Procedures will click into gear and we will be prepared to execute elections at a time we have been asked to do,” Ward was quoted as saying.
GECOM, which successfully ran the Local Government Elections in November 2018, less than three months ago, is being blamed by Government for not being ready, but it is the President of Guyana, who has to give a date for elections and not GECOM as is being touted. The President of Guyana, according to the Constitution, has to dissolve Parliament and issue a date for elections.