Commissioners blame each other for GECOM’s failure to address fraud, deviance

May 15, 2020 News

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The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has had a shoddy record when it comes to addressing issues of deviance or potential fraud. Commissioners acknowledge this. But when it comes to explaining why, Commissioners don’t seem to want to hold themselves accountable. In fact, they are more disposed to blaming their fellow Commissioners, and the political structure of the Commission.

The matter has reared its head, as the declarations made by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, are rife in political discourse, and evidence has surfaced that his declarations were altered to favour the governing coalition.
Commissioners Vincent Alexander and Sase Gunraj were both questioned about the Commission’s handling of deviance and fraud, yesterday at the National Recount media centre, outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
When one reporter pointed out that the Commission has not been very proactive in dealing with these matters, Alexander responded “I think you’re quite right. I think you’re quite right, and there are a plethora of examples.”
He gave a few of those examples, one of which is the matter of former Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodhoo who Alexander said brought a false result to the Commission in 2011.
“When he was challenged, he argued that he was correct, that he knew what he was doing… It’s only because of the capacity of the Commissioners to deal with the law and the processes that should have been followed, that he changed that result. And I have documented evidence of that document, which was brought to the Commission,” Alexander said.
After, Alexander said the PPP particularly just said that the process worked, in that it recognized and corrected what Boodhoo did. Yet, “he continued in that office for another two to three years,” Alexander said.
Asked whether he could not take a position as a Commissioner, Alexander responded that he could, which is why when the time came to vote on Boodhoo’s re-appointment, he took a stand which was seconded by the then Chairman.
“Therefore, his contract was not renewed,” said Alexander.
Gunraj could also speak to issues of potential fraud. He was asked yesterday about questionable statements of poll, which had made their way into a GECOM tabulation centre in 2015.
“In relation to the fake SOPs, it’s been five years, but my advocacy for that has not [inaudible]. Five years later, I still have made demands to at least see those SOPs to which CEO [Keith] Lowenfield referred, and I was unable to.”
He continued “As you’re aware, there is an election petition that was filed, in which those fake SOPs was a central issue, and five years later, it has not been heard. So to apportion blame, while I do not reject the idea that GECOM is not without blame and perhaps very blameworthy in the diligent prosecution of that issue, perhaps the court which is charged with responsibility of dealing with that, also should take some blame…”
Ask them who is responsible; they will blame the composition of the composition, and the propensity of the “other side” to “line up”. This is what Alexander said. He added that when that happens, if the Chair does not take a position, “there is no scope for a majority decision on the matter”.
Asked what will happen with the matter of accusations of electoral fraud being leveled against Mingo, Alexander responded “The Mingo matter will be dealt with if and when it comes before us.”
On the other side, Gunraj made a similar statement: “If the majority of the Commission refuses to deal with it, then unfortunately my hands may be tied.”
Alexander had mentioned a procedure that is meant to be employed by GECOM for the blacklisting of deviant and/or incompetent GECOM officials. Asked why this is not in practice, Alexander had pointed to the nature of the Commission. So did Gunraj when he was asked yesterday.
In fact, Gunraj said that GECOM’s failure to deal with these matters has caused the system to so enable persons to continue with attempts to defraud or be deviant, “the latest being Mingo.”

 

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