GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday said it was confident that the "menu of measures" put in place for the August 28 regional and general election would ensure that the polls were "free and fair" and survive any scrutiny from national or international observers.

"If everything goes right it ought to be the best elections we have ever had. We have assiduously worked hard to ensure trans-parency and fairness and presenting a level playing field to all combatants," Dr. Steve Surujbally, GECOM Chairman told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Putting in the hours

He said the 'Team GECOM' had over the past five years worked tirelessly "to get it right and I think now that all the work we have done is gelling into place and at the end of the day, I believe we will have a good election".

But he acknowledged that while the Commission could manage the "technical process" involved in conducting the polls, it was not in a position to "manage the political, social and criminal environment in which we have to fight the elections".

The opposition parties have said they would hold GECOM responsible for any failure or voter irregularity on Monday, noting that the 492,000 persons listed as eligible voters did not truly represent the voting population in the country.

They claim that the list is padded with persons who have either died or migrated and that such a situation would allow for multiple voting and other irregularities.

Decision to contest polls

Leader of the main opposition People's National Congress Reform -One Guyana (PNCR-IG), Robert Corbin, told CMC that while his party had raised several objections to various 'irregularities' within the compilation of the voters' list, it had decided in the end to contest the polls.

"We enter the electoral process despite our grave concerns at the level of preparations by GECOM for this election. We waged a campaign for several months to have a proper voters' list prepared. The Elections Commission has failed to honour that commitment," he said.

Raphael Trotman, the presidential candidate for the newly formed Alliance for Change (AFC), said that his party would also hold GECOM responsible for any failures of the electoral system on polling day.

But Surujbally dismissed their concerns saying "politicians, especially in this season, have to do what politicians do and that is, they are engaged in politicking".