Chief Scrutineer and other political party representatives recently met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to discuss the upcoming Claims and Objections period set to commence next Monday (February 09, 2015).During the meeting, GECOM clearly outlined the mechanisms and procedures currently in place for the efficient management of the forthcoming Claims and Objections exercise.During the Claims and Objections period, in addition to GECOM’s permanent offices, the Commission will be dispatching mobile units throughout the interior locations, as well as establishing a number of temporary offices in all divisions and sub-divisions.GECOM stressed that the forthcoming Claims and Objections period is essential, as the Commission use it to sanitize the Preliminary List of Electors.The Claims period, it was pointed out, provides eligible electors who reach the specific requirements of GECOM – persons 18 years and older by April 30, 2015 – who are not registered, an opportunity to gain entry onto the Preliminary List of Electors.It also provides a window of opportunity to those persons already registered who are desirous of having changes made to their registration information, and/or have corrections made to their registration information currently entered on the Preliminary Voters List. Electors already registered can request a transfer if they have moved from one sub division to another, or from one registration area to another.During the Objections phase an elector may visit the appropriate registration office in their sub-division or registration area to object to an entry in the Preliminary List of Electors.GECOM gave the Chief Scrutineer and the political party representatives all assurances that the relevant systems in keeping with the standard operating procedures for the conduct of Claims and Objections exercise, will be in place and functioning optimally.The various parties represented at the meeting were the Justice For All Party, Working People’s Alliance, A Partnership for National Unity/People’s National Congress, National Front Alliance, National Independent Party, United Republican Party and the Healing of the Nation Theocracy Party.GECOM’s Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield was accompanied by the DCEO, Vishnu Persaud,Jerseys From China, Legal Officer, Ms. Juanita Barker, and Logistics Manager, Colin April.
