Commotion at GECOM Command Centre ….as GECOM releases unverified results for Region Four

Mar 06, 2020 News

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), through its public relations officer Yolanda Ward, yesterday released unverified results for the general and regional elections conducted in Region Four. The international observer community has said that the process used to tabulate the results is not above board.

Guyana Elections Commission’s PRO, Yolanda Ward

The Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo reportedly made a declaration of the unverified results which are reflected in the two Form 24 documents set out by protocol as necessary to so do.
Kaieteur News had previously reported that, for the nine already declared regions, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) leads A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) in the regional election by 51,439 votes.
The unverified figures for the regional election for Region Four in the Form 24 place APNU+AFC at 136,335 votes and PPP/C at 77,258 votes. This would represent a margin of victory of 59,077 votes – well above the 51,440 votes the incumbent coalition would require to win overall.
Kaieteur News is not in possession of the figures for the general elections in the nine other regions. However, marginal differences that tend to exist between those which indicate that the regional election figures give a fair idea of the parties’ general election performance.
The unverified figures for the general election for Region Four in the Form 24 place APNU+AFC at 136,458 votes and PPP/C at 77,329 votes. This would represent a margin of victory of 59,129 votes. This would also be likely to have placed APNU+AFC in a comfortable lead over the PPP/C in the general election.

Regional Election Declaration for Region Four

General Election Declaration for Region Four

In 2015, APNU+AFC led PPP/C in region four by about 43,000 votes in both the general and regional elections.
Commotion at GECOM media centre
Meanwhile, a commotion broke out between officials of the PPP/C and APNU+AFC moments after Mingo announced that he was about to declare the results for the votes counted in that region.

Amidst the ruckus, leader of the PPP/C Bharrat Jagdeo told the media that his party objected to the declaration, since there was no adequate verification conducted prior.
Jagdeo said that moments before the announcement was made, he was informed by the Commonwealth Secretary General that the process was not complete. Hence, no declaration should have been declared, according to the former President.
Representatives of the PPP/C shouted in anger when Mingo set out to make the declaration, accusing APNU/AFC of blatant thievery.
“Thief, Thief!” shouted members of the PPP/C camp, as representatives of APNU+AFC led by party frontbencher Volda Lawrence, responded in kind.
Members of the diplomatic community, foreign observer teams, staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and the media looked on.
In the midst of the shouting, Jagdeo told the press that the alarm raised by the PPP/C might have just overturned plans to hijack the elections
“We heard there are secret plans to swear him (David Granger) in as President. They are not going to succeed, because once they do, the entire international community will come down on them. Guyana will be sanctioned… all of them. We will see personal sanctions because of attempts to tamper with the results of the elections.”
“This is a stealing of the elections in the presence of international observers…I am sure that they are in touch with their government. So now the entire world is seeing this.”
Jagdeo reiterated that there would be personal sanctions against the government or any APNU+AFC member for participating in any suspicious exercise.
“There will be sanctions, international sanctions, as well as freezing of their accounts.”
Jagdeo also accused GECOM’s staff of working in tandem with those involved in a ploy to tamper with the electoral process.
“There is a cabal at GECOM that is involved. This is an attempt to hijack the process.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence brushed aside any concerns over the attempts to derail the elections process. She said that her understanding of the incident was that Mingo was about to make the declaration, but that he was not allowed to do so.
“This is GECOM’s command centre. These people should be allowed to do their jobs without interference from anyone. They are being prevented from doing so.”
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, who arrived moments later, shared similar sentiments.
Jagdeo met with the media in the afternoon as well, indicating that the party would be seeking a recount of the votes for that region.