{"id":3017,"date":"2019-02-09T19:43:25","date_gmt":"2019-02-09T23:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/?p=3017"},"modified":"2019-02-09T19:43:25","modified_gmt":"2019-02-09T23:43:25","slug":"guyanas-chief-elections-officer-says-polls-cannot-be-held-on-march-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/09\/guyanas-chief-elections-officer-says-polls-cannot-be-held-on-march-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Guyana\u2019s Chief Elections Officer Says Polls Cannot Be Held On March 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 9, 2019 (CMC) \u2013<\/strong>Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, said, Friday, regional and general elections cannot be held in Guyana next month, as being called for, by the main opposition People\u2019s Progressive Party (PPP).<\/p>\n

Lowenfield told a news conference, that based on the options presented to the Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the March 19 date for the poll \u201cis not possible\u201d.<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has been calling on GECOM to ensure that the elections are held on that date, after he successfully moved the motion of no confidence that toppled the David Granger administration, on December 21, last year.<\/p>\n

The High Court last month validated the motion and refused to grant a stay, resulting in the authorities, according to the Guyana Constitution, having 90 days from the passage of the motion to hold the elections. The government has since appealed the High Court ruling.<\/p>\n

GEOCOM officials, who were present at the news conference, told reporters, for the March 19 date to have become relevant, Nomination Day would have had to be on the last day of January.<\/p>\n

They said further, that GECOM would not have been able to acquire the necessary materials to ensure a credible election by that date.<\/p>\n

But Lowenfield, who was flanked by the GECOM chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, and other Commission officials, said that the Secretariat had provided the Commissioners with a working plan and options on January 22.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe options are with the Commission. The Commissioners\u2026they are deliberating on the submissions with a view at arriving at a position at the end of the day, because as you are aware, they are to provide feedback to the Whips and what guidance they can take back to the Leader of the opposition and the President.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the reality is very simple. For us to conduct an election, an election has to be staffed. At the moment, if an election is to be held, we have an estimated amount of 2,300 polling stations (and) those polling stations will have to be manned by staff,\u201d Lowenfield noted.<\/p>\n

He said training for those workers would take considerable time and that all areas of Guyana had to be properly staffed, in order to conduct the poll.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne shudders to think if there is going to be a polling station without an attending PO (presiding officer) to go there,\u201d he said, adding \u201csomeone can very well say let\u2019s close the elections down, because GECOM is not ready\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lowenfield also raised the possibility that Guyanese nationals, working at the various embassies, may not be able to cast their ballots if the elections were to be held next month, given the various measures that must be undertaken to ensure the credibility of the poll.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt suggests therefore, that if those ballots are to be back in Guyana, at best 21 days before, so that GECOM can facilitate the voting of non-resident Guyanese\u2026working in our High Commissions, it suggests that Nomination Day will have to be prior to the 32 days that the law prescribes,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

He said the issue of house-to-house registration and other factors are still being debated by the Commissioners.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have said, on the 22nd<\/sup>\u00a0of January when the Commission first met for the year \u2026that the Commission must provide to the Secretariat approval for us to go into an operational mode. That approval is not with the Secretariat as yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe request for approval to move into that mode would have seen the Secretariat, for example, commending the same training regimen. It would have, for example, seen the acquisition of sensitive materials, required for elections, the seals, the ink, and so on, (since) we do not store those in large quantities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe order when the elections are on the horizon,\u201d he said, adding approval has had to be granted to the Secretariat \u201cfor us to move into that mode\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would have been in a place, moving towards a constitutional deliverance,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Figures released by GECOM show that 633,155 people are not eligible to cast ballots, but Lowenfield said that should it expire on April 30 without an election being held, \u201cwould see the need for a new list, a new official list to be provided.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 9, 2019 (CMC) \u2013Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, said, Friday, regional and general elections cannot be held in Guyana next month, as being called for, by the main opposition People\u2019s Progressive Party 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News<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 9, 2019 (CMC) \u2013Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, said, Friday, regional and general elections cannot be held in Guyana next month, as being called for, by the main opposition People\u2019s Progressive Party 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