Growing Confidence in GECOM Chair & President on Recount

May 21, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

The Chair of GECOM and the President have been gaining greater confidence among the population in the recounting exercise of ballots for the March 2 elections. This is a finding from an informal survey exercise on the post election controversy. This writer spent weeks in Guyana prior to and well after the elections and interacted with voters all over the country. I conducted tracking surveys utilizing the service of interviewers on issues pre and post election.
The election outcome was disputed over the validation or certification of Statements of Polls (SOPs) for Region 4. The validation of SOPs for the other nine of the 10 regions received a stamp of approval from the parties and observers. Local and international observers as well as agents for every opposition party and ABCE diplomats based in Guyana describe the certification of SOPs from Region 4 as fraudulent and not reflective of those in their possession as obtained at the closure of polls, a copy of which was posted at the place of polling. All parties, except APNU+AFC, have rejected the certification and declaration of the certification of Mingo and Lowenfield. A large majority of voters also rejected the two counts of Mingo and his and Lowenfield’s declarations that ended up in court challenges. A recount of ballots, negotiated by Caricom between the President and the Opposition Leader and approved by GECOM and the Appeals Court, began on May 6. The Chair undertook in a sworn affidavit before the Chief Justice to execute out a recount of ballots to avoid contempt charges for Mingo failing to carry out the court’s orders.
Interaction with voters in Guyana since the election, especially after the attempted fraud on March 4, provided several important findings on people’s views of the count and recount of the ballots. A large majority of voters, including those who cast ballots for APNU+AFC, feel the election was relatively free and fair and a reflection of the will of the electorate. A large majority also feel the opposition PPP won the elections. There is near unanimous approval of the recounting of the ballots to resolve the dispute of the official winner of the elections. However, many voters feel there was no need for a total recounting exercise of all ballots saying that only a recount or a completion of the certification of SOPs (for Region 4 should have been undertaken since the other regions were certified). Nevertheless, barring a few holdouts, there is endorsement for the comprehensive recount.
Initially skeptical, because of the court cases and various other obstacles, of whether the recount process would actually commence and/or derailed (brought to a completion) after it begins, and with the recounting underway, voters now feel increasingly confident that the President and the Chair of GECOM would see the recount to its logical end that reflect the true will of the electorate. Almost every voter is pleased with the Chair’s action on the recount. However, a large majority feel she should undertake to substantially increase the number of recounting stations so as to hasten the process to a quick end. Almost every voter feel the chair would take the correct and honourable action by declaring the real winner of the election.
Voters are also pleased with the recent statement by the President that he would accept the declaration of the Chair. The President’s statement has raised his political stock in how he has been (positively) viewed by the country since the election. Right after the election, a large majority felt the President was condoning electoral fraud although they praised him for not swearing-in on a fraudulent count. Now with his recent statement that he would accept the recount numbers announced by the Chair and that he is not supportive of contradictory remarks made by party colleagues, voters are changing their views of the President. Voters now say they are confident that the President would accept the recount outcome even if he were not declared the winner.
Voters also express confidence that the Opposition Leader would also accept the outcome of the recount. Voters praise both the President and Opposition Leader for the agreement to have the Caricom recount.
Initially distrustful of the Chair, almost every voter now expresses faith in the GECOM Chair that she would do the honourable thing, affirming the recount numbers as the final results.

Yours truly,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram
(Pollster/Analyst)

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Growing Confidence in GECOM Chair & President on Recount

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