The decision was made during a statutory meeting chaired by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, in the presence of both opposition – and government-nominated commissioners.

This issue was initially brought up during a meeting last Thursday. However, no decision could be made at that time due to a walkout by the opposition-nominated commissioners. As a result, the meeting lost its quorum, delaying any formal resolution. With general and regional elections scheduled for Monday, the matter was revisited last Saturday, and the Commission concluded that it was too late to make changes to polling locations. The current arrangements, which include 2,709 polling stations, 62 of which are located in private residences, will remain unchanged.

Opposition-nominated commissioner Vincent Alexander explained that the decision ultimately came down to timing. “Though there are different arguments for and against, the timing became the decisive factor,” he stated. He noted that even PPP/C-nominated commissioners agreed to the final decision. “We didn’t want a change, so we are not dissatisfied,” Alexander added. Following the meeting, PPP commissioner Manoj Narayan expressed support for the outcome and respect for the Chairperson’s authority. “The commissioners respect the decision of Madam Chair. We have always obeyed the decisions made by the Chairperson,” he said.

The issue stemmed from a proposal made during last Thursday’s statutory meeting, when PPP/C-nominated commissioners requested that 14 polling stations be moved from public buildings to private residences. Opposition commissioners immediately rejected the proposal, walking out of the meeting and thereby halting proceedings. Alexander later explained that the request came too late in the process, especially since GECOM had already advertised the final list of polling stations and the objection deadline had passed.

“This was occurring at a time when GECOM had already publicly advertised the location of the polling stations and weeks after the deadline for objections had elapsed. The opposition-appointed commissioners refused to participate in that travesty, hence they withdrew from the meeting,” he stated. (Kaieteur News)