Allegations of dead, migrated voters will be investigated- Commissioner Alexander

DPI, Guyana, Monday, May 18, 2020

Allegations of the names of deceased persons and those who had migrated being used to vote in the March 2, General and Regional elections will be investigated by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM ) as the evidence becomes available.

Commissioner Vincent Alexander said today that the elections body will be making use of the legal access it has to information to substantiate all allegations.

With the completion of the recount of the ballots for Region One- Barima Waini, the agents for the Coalition have reported numerous instances of dead and migrated persons voting in the elections. In some cases, death certificates have been presented to the commission.

“It has been the expressed view that where evidence of death have been presented, we have to deal with that, because it will be a reality that persons have voted who should not be,” Alexander stated

He said the commission is not in full agreement with this. Some commissioners have expressed the view that persons have already voted and finding such evidence could be difficult.

However, he said, “we will have to address our minds to that reality.”

Commissioner Alexander reminded that Regulation 40 of the National Registration Act (NRA) provides for the Chief Immigration Officer to periodically present to GECOM reports on persons who have departed and returned to Guyana.

By virtue of that same regulation, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) also has the discretion to determine how he treats with persons who have departed and not returned during a particular period, especially in the interest of the compilation of the National Register of Registrants (NRR).

“From that perspective [and] given GECOM’s obligation which is in the law, GECOM reserves the right to request that information and to match that information against the allegations to see if those allegations have any foundation,” Alexander said.

He noted the issue of dead voters can also be tracked since the commission also receives reports from the General Register Office (GRO)

Alexander referred to his advocacy before the General and Regional Elections for the sanitisation of the list.

“If you check the record, I have advocated for a new register of registrants because we have undeniably a bloated list. Prior to the No-Confidence Motion, everybody agreed to a new register of registrants. We are aware and accept that there was a problem.”

He said many of the issues emanating now, could have been avoided, had there been a sanitisation of the list.