Coalition says it observed anomalies since elections night

May 13, 2020 News

Was preparing for possible petition since then – Craig

A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) recount supervisor Leonard Craig told reporters yesterday that the party observed many anomalies which have the potential to impact the credibility of the elections, and that the party made these observations since the night of the March 2 general and regional elections. Craig also held that these observations were being carefully noted so that the party could make a possible elections petition.

APNU+AFC Recount Supervisor, Leonard Craig

Craig, who is a recount supervisor representing the coalition, spoke to reporters last night about this and the party’s concerns about the credibility of the elections.
“These observations that we have now were made since elections night and I would admit also that while searching for information, because of objections that were made elections night, we would stumble upon more things,” were his exact words.
He also said he could not understand attempts to do away with the observations, as they strike at the heart of the credibility of the elections.
Speaking on how so many anomalies could have occurred with the presence of APNU+AFC agents in just about all polling stations, Craig said “it is very possible that not all of the GECOM staffers accepted the training and they could have let something slip. I am saying the same thing about our agents—maybe not all of them understood the training the same way and could have made mistakes.”
At some point during his delivery, he said “if it was necessary to go to an election petition, then we would have presented all of this information.”
Despite his utterance that the party was considering an elections petition, it had still been adamant that David Granger, its presidential candidate, should have been sworn in on the basis of the declarations GECOM had at the time. Asked why it would allow its candidate to be sworn in on the basis of a result it was not sure was credible, Craig said “because we are law abiding. When GECOM makes a declaration you accept the declaration and then you use all the mountain of evidence you find to file an election petition.”
This concern about the credibility of the election does not align with public statements made by the coalition and its members, from Election Day up until the recount began, one week ago. The coalition had maintained that the elections were free, fair and credible, despite now claiming that it was aware of the anomalies all along.
Even the President, in a May 4 statement, stated “the General and Regional Elections were free, fair and orderly.”
This statement recurred in his public statements since Election Day.
Asked why the party would hail the election as free, fair and credible, when it had these concerns, Craig said that the party was just making a “general statement”.
In fact, Craig added that the party would file an elections petition once its investigation reveals information that is sufficient for such a petition.
Asked whether it would have filed a petition against its own candidate, Craig refused to answer. But he said that the party believes it won the elections, and that an elections petition would only reveal that it won by an even bigger margin.
Asked on what basis the party believes it won, he referred to the Mingo declarations. But when drawn to the numerous anomalies the party has raised, he changed his response to the question, arguing that the party believes it won on the basis of its statements of poll, even though many anomalies would also impact the numbers on the party’s statements of poll. Nevertheless, Craig refused calls for the release of the statements for public scrutiny, adding that that is not a decision the party has made.