GECOM Criticized for Failing to Provide Special Voting Arrangements for Offshore Oil Workers
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Opposition-appointed commissioner Vincent Alexander has labeled the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) handling of voting access for offshore oil rig workers as “retrogressive,” citing the absence of special provisions for the sector ahead of the upcoming elections.
Currently, the only accommodation for these workers is the employer’s obligation to grant time off to vote—an arrangement Alexander says is impractical for those stationed more than 200 miles offshore.
In a letter to the media, Alexander argued that GECOM’s inaction ignores existing precedents, such as proxy voting for Transport and Harbours Department workers and postal ballots for members of the Joint Services and non-resident Guyanese.
“When the law was passed providing for transport and harbour workers to vote by proxy, there was no oil industry,” Alexander noted. “The current circumstances of workers on the rigs are more dire than those that necessitated special arrangements for transport and harbour workers.”
He described the logistical challenges of granting time off as a “nightmare”. He insisted that a progressive GECOM would have sought legislative amendments to treat oil rig workers the same as other sectors with special voting rights.
Alexander also accused the Commission of a broader pattern of regression, including resistance to the introduction of biometric technology and the removal of deceased persons from the voter list.
GECOM has not yet responded to Alexander’s criticisms.
