The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been allocated $7.3 billion to ensure the smooth execution of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The sum was approved by the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply on Monday while the estimates were being examined.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira explained that the more than $4 billion increase for the constitutional agency is a result of an expanded work programme.
A sum of $427.5 million has been allocated for voter education and public awareness campaigns in preparation for election day expected in November.
“This would cover civic education, public awareness, infomercials, etcetera,” Minister Teixeira pointed out.
Some 19,000 people are expected to be trained and equipped to execute duties on and in preparation for the voting day.
GECOM has begun its work ahead of the elections, including its massive Claims and Objections exercise to produce an Official List of Electors.
During this period, any person who has attained the age of 18 years and older by December 31, 2023, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation, or registration, or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, can make a claim to entry on the Official List of Electors (OLE).
This can be done on or before January 15, 2024, provided that he/she is not listed in the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).
Objections can be made by an elector who is listed on the same list which the person being objected to is listed.
Objections can also be made by the accredited scrutineers for the various political parties.
They can also have monitoring responsibility for the registration area in which the person being objected to is listed.
The relevant original document(s) such as a death certificate must be presented at the time of the hearing of objections to support the basis upon which the objection is made.
