OAS says recounts so far credible - but points out GECOM’s refusal to release original SOPs

OAS says recounts so far credible – but points out GECOM’s refusal to release original SOPs

Jun 05, 2020 News

With days left in the National 2020 elections recount, the Organization of American States General Secretariat last night sent out a statement commending the recount process but also highlighting Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM’)s refusal to release statement of polls.
“Despite some inconsistencies,” the statement read, “in the electoral materials reviewed during the recount, as is normally the case in any electoral process, the OAS Mission has no reason to doubt that the results emanating from the recount will be credible. A declaration based on these results would lead to the installation of a legitimate government.”
The OAS said that their observers have been at the recount daily and have reported that the process was done “in a professional, transparent and impartial fashion.”
It lamented however that GECOM’s consistent refusal to provide original SOPS as legitimately requested. The Organisation recalled the agreement between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to invite high-level CARICOM scrutineers and to accept the recount results as final.

The full statement is below:

Statement from the OAS General Secretariat on the Elections in Guyana
June 4, 2020
The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) is mindful that the recount of the votes cast in the March 2 General and Regional elections in Guyana, will be concluded in the next few days.

OAS International Election Observers have been present at the recount center – the Arthur Chung Conference Center – each day of the national recount. They have reported that the review of the ballot boxes was conducted in a professional, transparent and impartial fashion, which allowed members of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), political parties and other stakeholders to accurately determine the results for each polling station.

On the invitation of President David Granger and with the agreement of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, the recount was also conducted in the presence of three high-level and well-respected scrutineers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). OAS recalls that both President Granger and Dr. Jagdeo have agreed to accept the results of the recount, as conducted by GECOM and scrutinized by CARICOM, as final.

Cognizant of the several challenges experienced in the 2020 electoral process, particularly concerns about the presence of inaccurate information, the OAS Electoral Observation Mission has repeatedly requested copies of the Statements of Poll prepared at each polling station on election night, and the Statements of Recount prepared during the current process, in order to do its own analysis of the original and the recounted results. Access to these materials is guaranteed by the electoral procedures agreement signed between the OAS and GECOM on February 26, 2020. Regrettably GECOM has refused to provide the Mission with these important documents.

Despite some inconsistencies in the electoral materials reviewed during the recount, as is normally the case in any electoral process, the OAS Mission has no reason to doubt that the results emanating from the recount will be credible. A declaration based on these results would lead to the installation of a legitimate government.

The people of Guyana have been patient and they now deserve a peaceful transition of government based on the majority vote as reflected in the recount and in support of democracy and the rule of law, which all OAS member states expect to be upheld.