Guyana Elections Commis-sion (GECOM) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally said yesterday that the recent discovery of a broken seal in the compound of the East Ruimveldt School was no big deal as there are multiple seals on ballot boxes to prevent the likelihood of tampering. GECOM later explained that ballot boxes from that location were checked and there were no seals missing.
Surujbally was addressing concerns that had been raised by APNU during a news conference on Tuesday.
The coalition’s campaign manager Joseph Harmon had told the media that a GECOM seal with number 0023154 was found at the Mandela Avenue school by a party agent. He had stressed that such seals are used to secure ballot boxes after the count of ballots.
During a press briefing held on Tuesday night, Surujbally said he saw a candidate showing off a seal and translating that it meant “the (ballot) box has been compromised”. Explaining the procedure for securing the ballot boxes, he said that the boxes are packed with all the materials prior to elections day, in front of the party agents and sealed. He said that there are five seals of a certain colour.
Surujbally said the boxes are taken to the different polling stations under police escort. Before 6 am on polling day he said, “a very efficient polling officer will get his crew together and together they will open”. He said that at the time of opening, the seals are taken off and put aside.
After the polls and after the count, he explained, everything goes back into the ballot boxes and the seals are attached again. Once again, he said, they will leave that location under police escort.
“So finding a seal somewhere in a schoolyard, I really do not think one should make an issue of that because the Statements of Poll signed by everybody is inside of the ballot box that is sealed,” he said stressing that there is more than one seal.
Added to that, he said the parties “put their own seals on the ballot box”.
Assistant Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield later said that he only learnt of the discovery of the seal yesterday morning and was fortunately given the number on the seal by Kit Nascimento during a meeting.
Lowenfield said it must be noted that the East Ruimveldt location where there were 10 polling stations was part of the South Georgetown District and as such those ballot boxes are stored in a 40ft container in the North Ruimveldt School compound.
He said that on elections day the ten ballot boxes were escorted by police to the container and secured there. He said he visited the container to make a determination as to whether the ten boxes were compromised.
He said that all the seals were found to be intact and the records will now have to be checked to see where that seal came from.
Later, Surujbally said it was right for “political parties to keep us on our toes…” He said this situation has not reflected an issue of distrust with GECOM. He expressed the view that with this explanation there will be no further problems.
“I am sure there will be no discrepancies,” he said, adding that GECOM is not in the business of “cheating or rigging”. He urged all Guyanese to ignore the rumours and to remain patient while GECOM tabulates the figures.
