Jagdeo claims GECOM Chair “often sides with APNU” …as several motions by Opposition Commissioners voted against

Apr 25, 2020 News

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General Secretary of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo expressed his disappointment in Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh, for voting against several motions to ensure the national recount be carried out in the utmost transparent and credible manner.

The Opposition Leader during a virtual press conference yesterday, relayed his frustrations at the continuous delays hampering the recount from commencing, and opined that the GECOM Chair’s voting paints a clear picture to the nation of her position, which according to him, is siding with the incumbent APNU/AFC.
He disclosed that the Opposition-nominated Commissioners presented several motions at the GECOM meeting held yesterday to solely determine Justice Singh’s position on critical issues relating to the transparency of the recount.
However, the disappointment came in waves when the motions were put to a vote and the Chair, according to Jagdeo, took a position contrary to having a transparent and credible recount process.
“We had to trigger a decision by the Chair to see where she stands, because she writes on things, and people believe that she wants the matter to be addressed expeditiously, but in her deliberations at GECOM, she either doesn’t take a position or often sides with APNU in slowing down the process,” Jagdeo stated.

THE MOTIONS
The motions put forward by the Opposition-nominated Commissioners are as follows:
1. That originals of all Statements of Poll for District 4 received by the Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield be provided to Commissioners for examination along with copies.
2. That the entire recount exercise be observed by the Audit Office of Guyana or a duly accredited Audit Firm contracted by the Guyana Elections Commission, specifically for this process.
3. That the entire recount exercise be live streamed on traditional and/or social media.

4. That the time for the conduct of the entire recount exercise be limited to fourteen (14) days.
5. That all members of staff of the Guyana Elections Commission who were involved in the activates which resulted in controversy, allegations of fraud and legal proceedings in the High Court after Elections Day 2020, be removed from active participation in the recount process.
6. That the recount be conducted in strict accordance with Sections 84(6) to (11), 87, 89(1) and 90 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 of the Laws of Guyana.
7. The tabulation of the Statements of Recount generated after the recount of each ballot box will be done at a central tabulation centre in the presence of the High Level CARICOM Team, other International and Local Observer teams accredited by Guyana Elections Commission, representatives of political parties that contested the said elections, advisors to the Guyana Elections Commission, and such other persons authorized by the Guyana Elections Commission as follows:
a. The Statement of Recount shall be projected on a screen to be viewed by all persons present;
b. The information from Statement of Recount shall be input into a spreadsheet which process shall be viewed simultaneously by all persons present;
c. In the event of a pause in the inputting process, a report on Statements of Recount input at that time will be made provided to representatives of contesting political parties by the staff responsible for the tabulation;
d. Upon completion of an entire district, the representatives of contesting political parties shall be given an opportunity to verify the accuracy of the entire tabulation and thereafter, sign off on same if he/she wishes to do so.

8. That the recount commences with Districts 1 & 4 simultaneously and continues with the remaining districts only after the completion of the said Districts 1 & 4.
9. That the Guyana Elections Commission immediately invites to observe the recount process each of the International and Local Observer team accredited to observe the 2nd March 2020 elections.
10. That the declaration of the election results of Electoral District number four (4) by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, made on the 13th day of March 2020, and the consequential Report prepared and submitted to the Commission by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, pursuant to the provisions of Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, be set aside, revoked, annulled and rescinded by the Guyana Elections Commission.
THE CHAIR’S VOTES
The GECOM Chair, Jagdeo said, voted against the release of the original Statements of Poll (SOPS) for District 4 received by the Chief Election Officer to the Commissioners for examination.
He asked: “Why would any person who wants transparency not allow a copy of GECOM SOPs to be presented to GECOM Commissioners?” The Opposition Leader pointed out that a similar request was made by President David Granger back in 2011 and that request was granted.
Further, Singh voted against the recount being live streamed, which Jagdeo deemed the biggest setback to the recount process.
Additionally, the Commissioners proposed a 14-day recount, but the Chair opted for 25 days, with a promise of the timeline being reviewed. This, according to Jagdeo, will serve only to frustrate the CARICOM high-level team along with other international observers, preventing them from overseeing the recount.
Justice Singh also voted against removing certain staff at GECOM from the recount process, despite claims of them being embroiled in the controversial declaration of Region 4 results. She however did note that the recount process has no role for Returning Officers.
Further, the Chair voted against the recount exercise being observed by the Audit Office of Guyana or a duly accredited Audit Firm hired by the Commission.
Singh also voted against the recount commencing with Districts 1 & 4 simultaneously, which according to Jagdeo, means that the Region which is the singular cause for the recount, will not be completed, perhaps, until the end of the exercise.
And lastly, the Chair also voted against a report on the Statements of the Recount being presented to representatives of contesting political parties by tabulation staff in the event that the inputting process is paused.
Jagdeo went on to state that there may be a plan in the works to further derail the recount process. He added that the way in which the Chair voted will now embolden those characters in their quest to further delay the recount.

 

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