GECOM Chair allowing frivolities to delay Recount

May 26, 2020 News

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… Coalition-controlled Task Force adds to hurdles – Ram

Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram is of the view that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), particularly the Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, is allowing frivolities, including the input of the politically controlled COVID-19 Task Force, to delay the efficient progression of the National Recount of votes.

In an interview with Kaieteur News, Ram said that the National Recount of votes is going at an inadequate pace, and that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is not treating with it in the urgency that is required.
He posited that this was first evidenced by the fact that the recount began on May 6, 2020 – 52 days after the aide memoire was signed on March 15, 2020. Even when it began, he said that there are indications that GECOM is ignoring its obligations, one of which is the fact that GECOM has failed to reassess the timeline of the recount, in accordance with the Order, which it gazetted to give the recount legal cover.
That Order states that the recount would proceed for a period of 25 days, subject to a review by the Commission in the first week. Almost three weeks later, there is no review, and the pace of the recount, as it is, will definitely take the recount beyond the 25-day timeline. GECOM had intended to review the timeline after the addition of extra recount stations, but two were added with the blessing of the National COVID-19 Task Force, and there is no review. The political opposition later advocated for an additional two, which the Commission considered and wrote to the Task Force for consideration on. GECOM awaits a response.
Ram is of the view that GECOM need not wait on the Task Force to approve the additional stations, but that GECOM should decide to add the stations and ask the Task Force for advice on social distancing arrangements.
Ram said that the aide memoire signed between the President, Opposition Leader and CARICOM Secretary General is a document between Guyana and its international partner, CARICOM. As such, it has serious implications that GECOM is allowing so much “frivolity” to be entrenched into the execution of the process, Ram opined.
Though that aide memoire states that the recount would take place “urgently”, Ram’s view is that GECOM is allowing delaying tactics to frustrate the completion of the process in a fair and transparent manner.
GECOM has made decisions, listed in an “Issues and Resolutions” document, which provide incremental improvements to the efficiency of the process, but the sloth is most likely to push the recount past the 25-day timeline.
One of these issues, of particular concern to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), is the tendency of APNU+AFC agents to make many objections during the recount, so many that some observation reports record objections for in excess of 30 serial numbers. The PPP’s Susan Rodrigues said that GECOM had to just recently pass down a directive that it would only note objections to serial numbers that were ticked off on the Official List of Electors (indicating that that person had voted).
Before the GECOM directive, some recount stations, according to PPP Executive Anil Nandlall, would note whatever numbers the agents called out, even if the person’s number wasn’t ticked off on the OLE.
Ram believes that a lot of the tactics which frustrate the process, don’t just come from the Coalition’s agents, but from its allies who are staffers of GECOM.
Political influence
Ram expressed that President David Granger too, as a signee to the aide memoire, has a responsibility to advocate for urgency, but that the actions of the COVID-19 Task Force, the President himself, and his party all point to political infringement of the process.
Ram is of the view that GECOM should not have to seek the approval of the Task Force. He noted as well that the Co-chair of the APNU+AFC elections campaign, Joseph Harmon is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Task Force. It is Harmon who is now arguing for GECOM to fall back on the 10 declarations currently “in abeyance”. Ram said that this Task Force gives facile explanations for its decisions, which ultimately stymie the speedy conclusion of the National Recount.
The lawyer also pointed to a statement by Granger that, “any declaration coming from the Chairman of GECOM will be accepted”. The President was asked about how he would treat with the outcome of the recount process, on May 17 last. His response, repeated several times, did not specify whether he would accept the results of the recount, but any declaration, which would appear to include the declarations “in abeyance”.
Ram said that, by saying this, Granger seeks to invite GECOM to act outside of the aide memoire, which he signed for the urgent conduction of this recount, and which binds him to accept the outcome of a fair and transparent process for the recount.
But it’s not too late, Ram said. If the President, as a signee to the aide memoire is serious about his commitments made therein, he will advocate on the part of urgency and ensure GECOM is given the leeway to add the two stations, so it can complete the recount with good speed.

 

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