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I will accept ‘any’ declaration from GECOM – President
Incumbent President David Granger yesterday said that he will accept ‘any’ declarations made by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Incumbent President David Granger addressing the media.
The President has made the statement against the backdrop of members of his party questioning the legality of the recount, while others have made claims about the credibility of the March 2 elections.
During a rare media engagement following a meeting with the Commission and the CARICOM scrutinizing team at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the President was asked directly if he would accept the results emerging from the recount process.
To this, President Granger said, “Whatever declaration is made by the Chairman, [Justice Claudette Singh] of the Elections Commission would be regarded as legitimate by the Coalition Government.”
Asked about the contradictory statements made by Attorney General Basil Williams and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde who both questioned the legality of the recount and the legitimacy of any results coming out of the process, President Granger stated emphatically that it was he who had ultimate authority for speaking on behalf of the governing Coalition.
“As President of Guyana and leader of the Government, it is my policy that any declaration coming from the Chairman of GECOM will be accepted by the Government of Guyana,” the Head of State told reporters.
It is left to the Elections Commission to decide whether Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield should use the final figures emerging from the recount to declare the winner.
At present, GECOM holds a pair of declarations for each of the 10 regions. Those are being held “in abeyance”.
A declaration from the recount will not be produced until all regions have been counted, according to Commissioners on the order for the recount. Commissioners and the Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward said that the declaration coming out of the recount will automatically replace those which are held in abeyance.
Pointed to claims against the credibility of the elections, Granger said that the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were conducted in a “free, fair and orderly” manner, and that the question of the credibility of the process is still to be determined.
The President said that it would be “premature” for pronouncements to be made on whether the March 2 polls were credible and that the recount serves this purpose – “to determine the credibility of the ballots which were cast on the second of March.”
“I would say that the elections were well managed and were orderly. Whether the results are credible is to be determined and that is the job of the Elections Commission.”
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