Following the reports of the decision of the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, to reduce the number of private polling stations, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), a local observer, has become concerned about the situation.
In a statement, GCCI says that this change will likely to “disenfranchise” a significant number of voters come March 2.
However, attempts were made by the chair to justify the decision to reduce the private polling stations from 166 in 2015 to 92 by stating that it was based on recommendations from the Carter Center.
The Carter Center, in its final report for the 2015 elections stated that, “Because of the lack of state establishments in some areas, 166 of Guyana’s 2,299 polling stations are located in private buildings and residences. While the establishment of polling stations on private property did not seem to negatively influence public confidence in the electoral process, GECOM should ensure that citizens can cast their ballot in a neutral environment.”
The GCCI understands that the list of polling stations circulated in January to the Commission was acceptable to the Commissioners; however, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of GECOM arbitrarily made changes to the January list without informing the Commission in a timely manner.
GCCI therefore calls on the Carter Center to clear the air on their 2015 Final Report.
