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Surujbally responds to PPP/C …‘I will choose when to go, no one will choose for me’
Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally has reaffirmed his stance against incessant calls from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) that he resign from his post as Chairman, questioning why the party’s
GECOM Chairman
Dr. Steve Surujbally
attention would be centered on someone who had no logistical or technical role in counting the ballots.
The Chairman also revealed that in the interest of silencing any accusations and objections with finality, the GECOM website would in the next day or two have the results from countrywide ballot boxes in every district.
This comes on the heels of weeks of intense agitation from the PPP/C, calling for Surujbally’s head, after a narrow defeat at the May 11th polls saw the then ruling party losing the Presidency for the first time in 23 years.
While the elections were widely considered to be fair and free from inconsistencies, the PPP/C has maintained that GECOM, in conjunction with A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), conspired to “rig” the elections.
The PPP/C has also mounted protests outside of GECOM’s head office in a bid to bring recognition to its cause. These protests were attended by the former President Donald Ramotar, as well as members of his former cabinet and other senior party officials, with the exception of former President Bharrat Jagdeo.
When the 11th parliament was convened last Wednesday, the party refused to take up its seats, leaving only APNU+AFC Members to be sworn in.
In addition, at the PPP/C’s weekly press conference last Monday, General Secretary of the party, Clement Rohee reiterated the party’s determination to hold firm to their call for Surujbally’s resignation, stating that the party would not be comfortable heading to the long awaited Local Government Elections with Surujbally still at the helm of GECOM at such a time.
According to Surujbally, the calls for his resignation are unjust, considering the fact that he is neither the logistical, nor the technical officer involved in counting the votes. He also pointed out that even if there are calls for Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield’s resignation were issued, why should either of them do so, when the body has pulled off such credible elections.
“Why should Surujbally go? Has he become ugly in his old age? Has he been playing bad tennis?” the Chairman questioned. He reiterated that he would choose the time to go, rather than someone (PPP/C) choosing it for him.
Surujbally also questioned why the PPP/C would balk at Local Government Elections, when in the latest general and regional elections they won six out of ten contested regions.
After the elections, the United States Embassy, which had its own observer team on the ground during Election Day, had stated that it received the PPP/C’s complaints but after its own investigations had not been able to find anything to change the initial assessment of the freeness and fairness of the electoral process.
The British High Commission, which also had its observer team, was also unable to find any evidence to support the PPP/C’s claim, while the Canadian High Commission had stated that it did not find any anomalies that would impact the election results.
And they have not been isolated in their assessment, for other observer missions including CARICOM and the Commonwealth Group; have attested to elections being free and fair.
The party at its press conferences presented what it termed as fake statements of Polls. It has also indicated on numerous occasions its intentions to file an elections petition, which is currently the only legal option the party is left to pursue in order to gain validation for its claim that the elections of 2015 were rigged.
Former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall is preparing the petition, which the party on Monday expressed optimism about.
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