Ethnic balance fiasco at GECOM troubling (Pt 2)

Dear Editor,
A careful look at the staff working in the twenty-seven GECOM Offices for this current Continuous Registration cycle is indeed a revelation, as it reflects just the tip of the blatant discrimination. In Region #6, all three Offices have Afro-Guyanese at the helm. In West Demerara Region #3, all three have Afro-Guyanese at the helm. It is useful to observe that the GECOM staffing issues have been sliding one-dimensionally since 2011.
The results of elections have often not revealed the many scars of discrimination experienced by many electors as a consequence of biased and unprofessional GECOM staff. In Guyana’s multiethnic framework, it is imperative that GECOM achieve enhanced accuracy and confidence in the electorate. Our people must not have this deep mistrust and suspicion of the GECOM staff.
In the preparation for Local Government Elections, voters must appreciate the need for them to do the necessary transfers and get registered at the place where they are living. Thousands of citizens have moved to new areas of residence and are living in their new and beautiful homes, away from the areaswhere they were registered. As a consequence, they often make demands for the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils to clean up and provide most valuable services for them to live in a clean and highly appreciated community.
The time is now when our citizens must appreciate the importance of the Local Government Elections, and help in the process to make sure they are registered in the right place. This will enable the local leaders to reach and discuss with the villagers, thereby enhancing the best options for the way forward.
GECOM therefore must be able to produce to the nation a clean and acceptable voters’ list, by ensuring and facilitating the process in a professional way.
Maintaining accuracy and accountability would enhance the dirty image of GECOM. The Secretariat at GECOM must be more people-friendly and open to transparency and accountability. The serious corruption image of the Administration is getting worse, as we are witnessing that there are numerous questions in respect to advertisement for the purchasing of accessories for GECOM.
Recently, it was revealed via social media that the PNC Commissioners at the Elections Commission are racially sidelining persons of East Indian origin who had applied for advertised vacancies at the Commission. The recruitment system at the elections body is been manipulated by the PNC Commissioners in favour of applicants of their choice.
The criteria for these choices must be advanced and pre-agreed by both sides, with the Chairman being a figure of objective, rational neutrality in achieving the ideals of the organisation. It is recalled that previous acceptable, negotiated and implemented approaches to balancing of staff were effected through a ‘horse trading-type approach that the secretariat should revisit, providing that other basic criteria are met.
Apparently there is no fairness being applied or considered by the biased APNU Commissioners, who are biasedly supported by their questionable Chairman, who was unilaterally appointed by Mr. Granger. Qualified and experienced applicants who were shortlisted by the Elections Commission are scored at zero, whereas as favoured inexperienced persons are scored at 100 percent.
It is rather dangerous and unacceptable if such action of indirect fraud and favoritism are being practised now. It follows that the expectations of any elections result from those responsible could be deemed fraudulent. The GECOM Chairman must also recognise the Commission needs to be objective; that the Commissioners are not his boy toys, nor are they put there to fulfill his seemingly biased whimsical fantasy. We advocate that persons should be employed on merit, and that staffing at GECOM should be diversified to represent the ethnic balance of this country.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar