Continuous registration approach to prepare citizens for LGEs

Dear Editor,
There are some decisive indicators that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is activating welcome activities in preparation for Local Government Elections (LGEs). This move follows a protracted period of public apprehension associated with numerous efforts by the main political Opposition, led by the PNCR, to first change the ‘Continuous Registration’ approach for updating the Register of Registrants, thereby realising further delays.
The necessary move to ensure that Guyanese are fully prepared and registered to go to the polls for Local Government Elections later this year is on the way. A recent GECOM press release confirms the commencement of the Continuous Registration exercise from Monday, March 7, 2022, following the established precedent within the legally approved framework.
Of course, the network of GECOM offices countrywide was created to support this mechanism over the years, and must be fully utilised. Consequently, the advantage of convenience to citizens nationally should complement genuine efforts to get all Guyanese who are of age to get on the Register of Registrants.
Significantly, this registration exercise is very important to those young persons who would be first-time applicants in the 14-to-18-years’ age group.
While held continuous exercises would have allowed persons to be registered, GECOM’s cancelation of the 2019 House-to-House Registration impacted many young persons who were registered during the exercise. Hence, this Registration exercise would target the updating of all persons who would be 14 years and older by October 31, 2022. This is provided they qualify as Guyanese citizens by birth, descent, naturalisation, or citizenship of a Commonwealth country and are living in Guyana for one year or more.
There are currently 28 permanent GECOM Registration Offices located in the ten administrative regions of Guyana. It is anticipated that GECOM would take advantage of this structure to promote the necessary voters’ awareness and registration education exercise. Mobile and sub-offices’ complementary interventions would also have to be put in place to enhance ease of access by unregistered persons affected by difficult terrain.
Our citizens must also be proactive in ensuring the readiness of their original birth certificates, valid passports, adoption or naturalisation certificates in supporting applications for new registration. It must be noted that for a change of name after marriage, applicants must have an original marriage certificate. Applicants must also bear in mind that with the massive Housing drive by the PPP/C Government, citizens who have established new residences should also take care of their transfers, which would strengthen the respective community representation in the area they now reside, making it easier for them to exercise their rights on voting day.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is understandable that GECOM is asking that all applicants must provide proof of having been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to gain entrance to the respective GECOM Registration Offices. It follows that those persons who for different reasons did not take their vaccine will have to produce a negative PCR test taken within seventy-two hours.
These upcoming LGEs will be the first elections conducted by GECOM under a revised internal structure, given the removal of personnel against whom widespread evidence justified were involved in the clandestine attempts to rig the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. As Guyana celebrates the replacement of those persons and recognises the efforts of the Commission to cleanse the organisation, there is more to be done towards genuine efforts to ensure the holding of free and fair elections.
The APNU/AFC and the PNC must produce their Statements of Poll from the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Further, GECOM must produce the reports of all the Returning Officers and the CEO, to inform a proper assessment of all the incidents that took place during the five months. This column encourages all Guyanese to do their best to get on the Register of Registrants.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar