GECOM Chair intervenes to regularise Region Four declaration

Mar 13, 2020 News

– tally to resume at 9AM today

Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, yesterday suspended the tabulation of votes from the Region 4 district.
According to reports, the suspension had occurred in an effort to clarify the ruling handed down by Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire. It was stated that the Chair was waiting to peruse the written judgment that was made by the CJ.
By last evening, the Guyana Elections Commission announced that the tabulation would restart today at 09:00 hours.

GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh

On Wednesday, the Chief Justice issued an order for the Returning Officer (RO) for District Four, Clairmont Mingo, to return to the legally prescribed procedure for tabulating the votes for Region Four after she deemed the previously declaration to be unlawful on the grounds that the tabulation used to arrive at it was in breach of the law.
However, when the process restarted on Thursday morning, the RO sought out to use a spreadsheet, which was objected to by all political parties, except the APNU+AFC Coalition.
Opposition-appointed Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, said, “The RO, Mingo, is refusing to use or present Statements of Poll to ascertain the total number of votes cast in favour of each contesting party.
“He is instead attempting to use a spreadsheet, which is a clear breach of the tenets of Sec 84(1) of the Representation of the People’s Act, Cap 3:01.”
The CJ handed down a consequential order that is in the best interest of transparency, but taking into consideration the need for urgency, the RO is to decide whether the process of ascertaining the total number of votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statement of Polls delivered, should be restarted or continued.