President to sign Elections Proclamation today
THREE days after announcing May 11 as the day Guyanese return to the polls to determine the future of the nation, President Donald Ramotar is expected to sign the Elections Proclamation today.This newspaper was reliably informed, yesterday, of the Head of State’s intended move today. Once the Proclamation is signed it will be gazetted.
Consequently, the dissolution of Parliament and other statutory and administrative requirements for the hosting of General and Regional Elections will follow.
The return to the polls is expected to bring an end to the current political impasse that has gripped Guyana, for the last three years.
On Tuesday, during his announcement of a date for elections, President Ramotar appealed for stability, both during and after elections – all in the interest of protecting and consolidating the democratic gains Guyana has made to date.
He said, “As usual, and I will expect the political parties, the security services and the people of Guyana to conduct themselves in a manner that would ensure continued peace and stability before, during and after the elections.”
“We have a collective obligation to ensure the protection of the democratic gains we have made and for which we have endured so much as a nation to secure,” the President also urged.
And in spite of the criticisms levelled against his Government, the President made it clear that the current Administration paid strict adherence to the Constitution in administering the welfare of the nation.
“At all times I have acted in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana,” he declared.
GECOM READY
Additionally, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is ready to move forward “full throttle”, according to its Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally.
In a prior interview via telephone, he said, “Now that we have a date we can go full throttle. Our action plan will kick into operation.”
The GECOM Chairman was emphatic in stressing that the current focus of the Commission is to “get it right” as was done in the last few elections.
The last General and Regional Elections were held in November 2011. (Vanessa Narine)
extracted from the Guyana Chronicle
