GECOM says law outlines two methods to clean up voters list

Last Updated on Friday, 26 August 2022, 21:21 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Friday insisted that it could remove the names of persons from the National Database of Registrants based on the existing law.

“Wheras the various positions have been duly noted, and extensively ventilated at the meetings of the Commission, it was determined that GECOM cannot act contrary to the legal provisions enacted in the National Registration Act (NRA), Chapter 19:08 ” GECOM said in a statement.

GECOM, in a lengthy statement, says it is not ignoring concerns about the size of the Preliminary List of electors.

It contains the names of more than 680,000 persons.

That election management body says the existing law allows for the removal of the names of persons only if the General Registrar’s Office certifies that they are dead.

GECOM also says names of persons can also be removed through the objections process.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has vowed to intensify pressure for a clean voters list, failing which there would be no elections.

This, according to GECOM, allows for any elector, or suitably accredited Scrutineers of Political Parties, to object to the inclusion of names in the Preliminary List of Electors whom they suspect may not be eligible.

“Existing legislation provides that the removal of names from the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB). can only be done through the legal methodology which includes the receipt of monthly reports from the General Registers Office (GRO) or through an Objections process; which allows for any elector, or suitably accredited Scrutineers of Political
Parties, to object to the inclusion of names in the PLE (Preliminary List of Electors) whom they suspect may not be eligible. However, the burden of proof would be on the objector to present at the time of the relevant hearing(s) to substantiate the objection(s),” GECOM said.

GECOM says its position is also in keeping with a ruling by the High Court.