Recount not likely to start this week – Commissioner

Apr 15, 2020 News

– Lowenfield seeks clarity before finalising plan
– GECOM to scout venue

By Kemol King

Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had hoped that they would yesterday receive a solid plan for a national recount from the Secretariat. They did not.

Commissioner Sase Gunraj

Instead, the Secretariat sought clarity on several issues relating to the Commission’s discussion last Thursday, on the recount, according to Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander.
Alexander told reporters that GECOM was also expected to scout the venue for the recount, the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, but that did not happen either.
The Commissioners are meeting again this morning, with the hope that a plan would be submitted and that a visit to the venue could soon follow.
According to Gunraj, the nation’s frustration is considered, and he hopes to get the process on stream as soon as possible.
Alexander said that clarification was sought on the nature of the recount, though he was of the view that that had already been sorted out. He had previously expressed that the recount would examine carefully the veracity of all of the contents of the box, but Gunraj had described the recount as a numerical one. Gunraj had said that, even if the recount examined the contents of the box, it wouldn’t add too much time to the duration taken to count one box.
Gunraj told reporters that the matters the Secretariat sought clarity on are inconsequential, in his view, such as the role of the Commissioners.Last Friday, Kaieteur News reported that GECOM is evidently out of consensus on the role of the Commissioners during the exercise. Alexander had explained that there is one Commissioner who insists that the Commissioners should insert themselves into the process while it is being executed. Others had disagreed.

A visit to the recount venue – Arthur Chung Convention Centre – is imminent

While the Commissioners spoke to the matters the Secretariat sought clarity on yesterday, Alexander is not even sure that the matter was definitively cleared up, because there appear to be commissioners who attempt to dig up matters that have already been resolved.
Gunraj expects the final document to be presented today. He said he is disappointed that GECOM has lost days over the Easter weekend only to find out that the Secretariat needed more clarity, even as GECOM hoped to visit the recount venue yesterday.
Gunraj said that the field visit to the Centre is a vital component of the process, as it will allow GECOM to confirm just how many workstations the venue can facilitate, considering COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. He maintains that the venue can accommodate 20 stations, and that the site visit could pave the way for an early start to the process.
Alexander said, based on discussions at the Commission meeting yesterday, that it is unlikely the recount will start during this week.
GECOM is still to hear from the observers on whether and/or how they would be observing this process.
As for CARICOM, the Commissioners revealed that CARICOM has been written to by GECOM, indicating the special role it wants CARICOM to play in validating the recount. There has been no feedback yet.
Otherwise, the logistics of the recount have to be sorted out by the Secretariat.
Alexander hopes there will be a final decision on the actual recount today. This would pave the way for the electoral body to issue an order.

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