GECOM awaits written High Court decision; 230,000 registered so far

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 August 2019, 16:55 by Writer

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Thursday did not discuss the implications of the High Court judgement on house-to-house registration and related matters because commissioners were yet to obtain a copy of the written decision by Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, an elections commissioner said.

Government-appointed elections commissioner, Vincent Alexander expected the seven-member body to meet again by Monday before GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh informs President David Granger on the way forward.

He said that an estimated 230,000 persons have so far been registered since the commencement of the house-to-house registration exercise on July 20. The Chief Justice, in her decision, said it would be unconstitutional to remove the names of persons who have been registered before. “The question on the way forward, in some regards, was not determined in the main because we are still not in receipt yet of the written decision of the judge,” he said.

Alexander declined to comment on the aspect of the Chief Justice’s decision that persons previously registered could not be taken off the National Register of Registrants.

People’s Progressive Party election commissioners Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick declined to comment fully on Thursday’s meeting of the commission, with Shadick saying it is “commission business”.

Thursday’s meeting, Alexander said, also focused on preparations for general elections, procurement of some supplies and the status of the house-to-house registration process.