GPL disconnects electricity at UG’s CIT department; UGGS elections could be affected

By Tracey Khan – Drakes

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Electricity to the University of Guyana’s Centre for Information Technology’s (CIT) was disconnected this afternoon, Tuesday, September 30 by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), days after it was commissioned by President Donald Ramotar and a number of other Government officials.

iNews understands that this will significantly affect the University of Guyana Student Society’s (UGSS) election which is scheduled for Wednesday, Friday & Saturday (October, 01, 02, 03) respectively.

This year the voting process was expected to be done electronically and would have been monitored from the CIT department.

According to the UGSS, “A new feature added to the voting process this year, is the use of automated voter machines (AVMs) -as a pilot/case study – to allow for the casting, tabulation and generation of the statement of polls. The use of electoral technology is expected to improve the integrity of the vote count, allowing students to have more confidence in its legitimacy.”

The use of this new technology was made possible through the university partnering with the government of Canada, and the Canadian-based non-governmental organization known as The DELIAN Project, to fund the use of the automated technology.

This disconnection also comes at a time when the University has intensified its plans to offer online course.

However, the University’s administration struck a deal with the GPL to have the matter resolved soon.

The Administration has been struggling to keep its doors open, and has been straining to pay its utility bills and salaries for several years now.

GT&T recently spent GUY$20 million on modernizing and re-equipping the CIT department.