Lowenfield’s report ‘shocking and frustrating’

Jun 25, 2020 News

– level of “gamesmanship” in Guyana not portraying Caribbean region in best light
– CARICOM Chair Mia Mottley

By Shikema Dey

“We must ask – on what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Elections Officer determine that he should invalidate 1 vote, far less over 115, 000 votes when the votes were already certified as valid by officers of the Guyana Elections Commission in the presence of the political parties.” – CARICOM Chair, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

CARICOM Chair, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley has conveyed her concern over the actions of Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to scrap over 115,000 votes from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

CARICOM Chair, Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley

She has deemed the drawn out political process “gamesmanship” that does not portray the Caribbean region in the “best light”.
On Tuesday, following the ruling by the Appellate Court, Lowenfield submitted his final report to GECOM Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh.
However, contrary to the Chair’s instructions, the figures in Lowenfield’s report did not emerge from the recount.
Instead, Lowenfield’s new numbers handed the victory of the March 2 polls to the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition with 171,825 votes – giving them a one-seat majority in Parliament. The recount figures would have given the win to the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) who attained 233,336 votes.
The CARICOM Chair, in her statement yesterday, said the numbers presented by the CEO “do not reflect the results of the recount process as certified by the very staff of the GECOM and witnessed by representatives of the political parties.”
The recount figures and their certification, Mottley stressed were also witnessed by the CARICOM Observer Team, who travelled to Guyana, “in spite of the pandemic and the risk to themselves and they scrutinised the recount process.”
“The CARICOM Observer Team,” the CARICOM Chair noted “was of the unshakeable belief that the people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box on March 2 and that the results of the recount certified as valid by the staff of GECOM led to an orderly conclusion on which the declaration of the results of the Election would be made.”
Taking this into account, the Chair questioned the CEO’s decision to discard 115,844 votes.
She asked, “On what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Elections Officer determine that he should invalidate 1 vote, far less over 115,000 votes when the votes were already certified as valid by officers of the Guyana Elections Commission in the presence of the political parties.”
Mottley pointed out that aggrieved parties who wish to question the validity of the March 2 Elections can do so via an “Elections Petition.”
“We must remind all that if there is any evidence of fraudulent or improper conduct then there is a clear and well accepted route to deal with these matters,” she said.
“Any attempt,” Mottley continued “to provide numbers different from those certified by the staff of GECOM has left many in shock and wondering what next will happen to frustrate the will of the Guyanese people.”
According to her, the role and focus of political parties must be “useful” and not “obstructive” in embracing and promoting the clear and expressed will of the people. When parties attempt to “confuse and frustrate that will”, is when, she stressed, “we begin to sow the very seeds of discord and acrimony that we are sworn to dissuade and discourage.”

The CARCIOM Community holds the strong view that “no voter must be disenfranchised in determining the credibility of this or any election.”
“It is this commitment to a fair and transparent political process that led us to send two Electoral Observation Missions – one for the Elections and one for the recount. In addition, four Prime Ministers accompanied me to talk to both sides and to urge patience especially after the death of one person,” the Chair stated.

She added that no electoral process can replace the life of any Guyanese, citing that “there must be room for all regardless of who wins and who loses.”
“I assure you that the Community remains committed to the people of Guyana and remains resolute that the report of its Observer Mission was very clear in its conclusions as to the will of the Guyanese people as reflected in the recount which they monitored,” Mottley ended.

Latest News