GPSU’s elections results in limbo

Apr 29, 2017 News

– Candidate accuses incumbent Yarde of stalling process

It is being alleged that incumbent President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde is using his influence to delay the electoral process to choose the next leader of the trade union.

Incumbent GPSU President, Patrick Yarde

According to Presidential Candidate, Gregory Gaspar, he has no doubt that Yarde is playing a role in stalling the electoral process.
“I have no doubt about that, because Mr DeSouza is incapable of making any decision on his own. For everything, it appears that he has to consult with Mr Yarde. Once Mr Yarde is in the building, he is in his room and they converse.”
Herman DeSouza is the Elections Officer of the GPSU. Gaspar said that for yesterday, no ballots were counted. Additionally, he said that at 12:30hrs he had asked DeSouza to produce Statement of Polls (SOPs) and a List of Electors so that his team would know how many votes were cast in each box and the persons that would have voted. However, no information was provided.
“When the ballots come in they are supposed to be accompanied with a document that you would have used; as people come in you would tick off their names and so on.”
He said that this raises a red flag as to the transparency of the elections. Further, Gaspar said that he was told by DeSouza that there was not enough staff on hand to count the ballots. He said that it is the duty of the Elections Officer to ensure that there are enough persons to facilitate the counting of ballots.
Gaspar added that he had asked DeSouza for SOPs for entities such as the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Guyana Revenue Authority, but that information up to last evening was yet to be furnished, even though those votes were counted on Thursday.
“We wanted the official Statement of Polls from him, and up to now (yesterday) nothing. We have received nothing from him.”
Gaspar said that he was informed that counting of ballots will be suspended until next Wednesday. He said that such a suspension is unacceptable.
When Mr Yarde was contacted on the allegations being levelled against him, he said that the accusations of delay were surprising, since the Union was made to fight a court action which sought to postpone the elections until next month. He said that he has played no part to delay the electoral process.
According to Yarde, the Union would have requested leave for a number of members to be away from their offices to work on the elections. However, this process was frustrated and the two days to process the leave had expired, resulting in a number of persons not being allowed to work with the GPSU’s elections office.
Yarde said that elections at the Union have been going smoothly for 50 years. However, with the interventions by some personalities, the process this year was affected and has placed candidates and members in a position whereby there is no result to declare.
He maintained that the elections come under the purview of the Elections Officer, and as a result, he could have no part to play in stalling the counting of ballots or declaration of results. He said that Mr DeSouza informed him that counting will be placed on a pause since his limited staff members was tired.
“I am the leader of a trade union, so I would not encourage the abuse of labour.”
When Kaieteur News contacted the elections office of the Union last evening, it was confirmed that all counting of ballots was suspended.

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