Gocool Boodoo

Chief Elections Officer
Guyana Elections Commission
Focus Area(s)
Elections
Interviewers
Varanya Chaubey
Country of Reform
Guyana
Town/City
Georgetown
Country
Guyana
Date of Interview
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Abstract
Gocool Boodoo discusses his personal path to his position as chief elections officer of the Guyana Elections Commission, as well as his reflections on the institutionalization of practices, policies, and procedures that account for the relative success of the 2006 electoral process in Guyana. Boodoo notes the benefits of institutional memory with the implementation of a permanent staff for the commission and secretariat, and he highlights the importance of transparency at every level of the organization and every stage of the electoral process, from registration to voting day to declaration of results. The emphasis he places on technology for organizing and sharing information, including registration forms and polling results, reflects his feeling that electronic voting will be a reality in Guyana at some point in the near future. The roles of technology, particularly for the sharing of information internally and with regional organizations, are the central focus of the interview. He also stresses the importance of a valid electoral roll. The interview concludes with a brief discussion of constituency delimitation in the late 2009 local elections, including a proposal before Parliament of a mixed proportional representation and "first-past-the-post" system.

 

Full Interview

26 MB
Mr. Gocool Boodoo - Full interview
Profile

At the time of this interview, Gocool Boodoo was chief elections officer at the Guyana Elections Commission. He previously served in various public relations and administrative capacities at the commission. Prior to his work at the Commission, he was the head of the Department of Foundations and Administration of the School of Education of the University of Guyana. His initial work with the commission was in the preparation of training and policy manuals for electoral workers. After serving as deputy commissioner for administration, he became chief elections officer in 2001, and he supervised both the March 2001 and 2006 national elections.

Keywords
Voter Registration
codes of conduct
Donor Relations
Election Management Body
election schedules
electronic voting
media relations
registration audit
voter education
Not specified