Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
The government has announced plans to bolster the authority and responsibilities of Presiding Officers ahead of the 2025 General and Regional elections to ensure greater transparency and accountability during the voting process.
This initiative, revealed during Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s weekly press conference, aims to enhance the efficiency and integrity of elections managed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
This is in response to controversial remarks made by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, who during a public meeting in Calcutta, Mahaicony said that his party polling agents would not tolerate people with foreign accents- except English-speaking Venezuelans whose parents are Guyanese- turning up to vote.
While GECOM has already issued a statement addressing Norton, VP Jagdeo believes that more must be done to prevent the rigging of an election next year.
“We are open to enhancing the powers of the presiding officers to ensure that only people who are edible to vote get to vote on election day, but everything has to be done in accordance with the laws of this country and the constitution of Guyana, we are not going to do anything unconstitutional,” VP said.
Opposition Leader
Aubrey Norton
According to GECOM, Guyanese by birth, descent or naturalisation or a citizen of a Commonwealth country residing in Guyana for one year or more are eligible to be on the voters’ list. GECOM said the law allows for an interpreter to be provided for voters who do not understand English. The Elections Management Organisation made it clear that party officials could not block people from voting.
In addition, GECOM cautioned that election officials and security personnel could face prosecution for obstructing or interfering with the voting process or intimidating voters. The Commission called on political stakeholders to exercise responsibility in their public statements, warning that inflammatory comments could undermine the electoral process and have severe repercussions.
The opposition has intensified its demands for the introduction of digitalized biometrics as a precondition for voter registration and voting.
However, the Vice President rejected these proposals and reiterated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) party will never support proposals that hinder the process and will not fall for the traps being set by the opposition.
“This is how APNU distorts everything and it’s all every night, all the defunct parties, the WPA, every one of them, this is their mantra the last week, biometrics, oh padding the list, we’re collecting, we’re trying to rig the elections through the cash grant program, all nonsense. They see the writing on the wall, and they admit it among themselves, they’re going to lose the elections, they know this. So, they have to come up with excuses again, like they always did in the past. So please don’t pay too much attention to this,” he added.
The role of GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) Presiding Officers is crucial in ensuring the smooth conduct of elections at polling stations. They are responsible for managing the voting process, maintaining order, and ensuring compliance with election laws and procedures.
It is customary that these officers receive enhanced training and resources to better manage the voting process and address any irregularities on election day.
According to officials, this empowerment will include clearer guidelines for decision-making, improved logistical support, and greater authority to enforce electoral laws.
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