GECOM hires 14,500 temporary staff for LGE –

no decision by GECOM on biometrics at polls

Some 14,500 temporary staff have been hired by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to assist with Local Government Elections (LGE), contributing to a budgetary increase of $1 Billion compared to $4 Billion set aside last year.

This was revealed during the examination of the budget estimates for the Guyana Elections Commission. In responding to questions from the Opposition, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira explained the allocations for GECOM.

“(line item) 6294, where the increase is to do with the conduct of Claims and Objections exercise and Local Government Elections, these costs include costs associated with the hiring of 14,500 temporary staff to facilitate the Local Government Elections.”

“And because they’re not permanent staff but temporary, on a limited contract, they would be under 6294 or other operating expenses,” Minister Teixeira further explained in her response to the Opposition.

Meanwhile, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Volda Lawrence questioned whether allocations have been made for biometrics at the poll. However, Teixeira pointed out that this is a decision to be made at the level of the commission.

“I think Ms Lawrence knew the answer before she asked it. And that is that it is a commission decision. And so if the commission makes that decision, then a supplementary would have to be prepared for GECOM, through this House, to be able to do that.”

“But at this point, as I understand and am advised, GECOM has not made such a decision. The commission has not made a decision as yet. The jury is out, as far as I understand it,” Minister Teixeira also said.

Constitutional agencies have been allocated a lump sum of $13.8 billion from Budget 2023, an over-17 per cent increase compared to last year. Leading the way in allocations was GECOM, which was allocated $5 billion in net current funds and $150 million in capital funds… a total of $5.1 billion.

GECOM is expected to hold LGE this year. More than $750 million was set aside in Budget 2022 for the preparations to be undertaken by GECOM for the hosting of LGE. This money was part of an overall $4.1 billion allocation to GECOM in Budget 2022.

In October 2022, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall set Monday, March 13, 2023, as the date for hosting the long-overdue Local Government polls in Guyana. This was the earliest date that GECOM indicated the elections could be held.

But court action was subsequently filed, challenging the process used to compile the List of Electors, or Voters’ List, for the upcoming LGE. Since then, doubt has been expressed about GECOM’s capacity to hold elections on March 13.

During an edition of “Issues in the News”, Attorney General Anil Nandlall spoke about GECOM and its readiness to hold the LGE. In fact, Nandlall noted that GECOM was not likely to be able to hold the polls by March 13, 2023.

The Attorney General pointed out that Government has given GECOM all the finances it would need to carry out its mandate and hold the elections. According to Nandlall, however, one of the key reasons for the delay is the political dynamics of GECOM, where the Commissioners have been unable to find a consensus.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the blame for this cannot be put at the Government’s feet. We have budgeted the money and have done everything possible, including fixing the date for the elections,” Nandlall said.

“It is the Opposition members of the Commission, who have been raising one objection after another to delay this election. We have been compromising on every occasion they raise these objections. And every time we compromise, they shift the goalpost and raise another objection,” he stated.

He also expressed hope that the international com- munity was observing what was happening at GECOM and that as the Government was “ready, willing and anx- ious” to hold and participate in LGE, blame for failing to hold the polls would not lie with the Government.

Woman attacked, chopped by cutlass-wielding reputed husband

AVenezuelan woman is now nursing chop wounds to her head at the Georgetown Public Hospital after she was attacked by her cutlass-wielding reputed husband on Sunday.

The injured woman is Deoranie Badal called “Marcy”, 36, of Number 56 Village Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The incident occurred on Sunday at Rose Hall Town. Police stated that the couple has been separated for about three months now.

Based on the information received, on the day in question at about 13:00h, the woman, who formally worked as a junior manager at Nand Persaud Berbice

Injured: Deoranie Badal

Rice Mills, was at a car wash in Rose Hall Town when the suspect exited a motor car with a cutlass, walked up to her vehicle and started to chop the car in which the woman was an occupant. Fearful for her life, Badal exited the vehicle, and it was then she was chopped.

A Police Constable who was present at the location, intervened and escorted the victim to Port Mourant Public Hospital, where she was examined and subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital for further treatment. She sustained injuries to her head and one to her right hand. She was later transferred to the Georgetown Hospital. The suspect, a 55-yearold businessman from East Canje, Berbice, was arrested and is assisting the Police with their investigations.