GHL’s voters list site crashes

The EBC is expected to make a statement on the issue today.

Newsday has learnt that within a day or two of putting the voters’ register on line, some 28,000 accessed the website, causing it to shut down temporarily.

GHL’s vice-president, corporate communications, Maria McMillan, said yesterday that “the website received some 28,000 hits,” but she said, “the amount of traffic was too much for the server to manage, and as a result we had to move it to another server.”

She added that as a result the website was down for a few hours but was expected to be up and running yesterday evening.

In a statement Tuesday, GHL said it had partnered with ATC to provide voters with a facility where they can check the voters’ list online.

The statement also added that voters can log on to www.votett.com, type in their names and view information about their municipal and electoral district. Meanwhile, information technology (IT) consultant Harold Cherrie of Advanced Technology Consulting, who was listed as a partner to GHL, according to a press statement on Tuesday, has distanced himself from the online voters’ list.

He told Newsday, “The ATC is not involved, we have not partnered with Guardian Holding at all, as a matter of fact, this statement has upset us greatly.”

Cherrie, said he met with GHL on the issue yesterday, adding that his company “does not want to get involved in anything political or psuedo political.”

“As a matter of fact I have been talking with these people to see what is happening,” he added.

Yesterday, an EBC source told Newsday, that the commission’s Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain office was inundated with calls and queries from members of the public about their personal information.

But McMillan has denied that the voters’ list information was not up-to-date, saying that the information was accurate up to August 2007.

“People now have the opportunity to check their information and if they have queries they can go to the EBC,” McMillan said adding that while the EBC was not involved in the online list, updates to the list are done whenever the EBC issues new information. “The information is available from the commission, and, we will access it and put it on-line,” she said.

McMillan denied that GHL was working on behalf of a political party. Asked if the Congress of the People (COP) was its client, McMillan said, “No.”

She added “there was no truth” that GHL was working in tandem with any party.

COP chairman, Roy Augustus, said he had no knowledge that the COP was involved in the venture, adding, “....and I suspect I am still chairman.”

But he added that as a responsible political party he felt grateful that a citizen, whether private or otherwise, would want to ensure that the electorate had the best up to date information as possible.

“But all the necessary steps would have to be taken into consideration. I don’t think they should have gone ahead and done so without speaking with EBC to ensure that what is put out is legal in the first instance, and legitimate or faithful.”

For his part, UNC leader Basdeo Panday, in an overseas interview, said he believes it would be beneficial to the electorate if a proper list was placed on line. “But I believe the EBC should itself publish the list to assist voters.” Efforts to contact the People’s National Movement, vice-chairman, John Donaldson proved futile.