The last general and regional elections were characterized by extensive delay in announcing election results and there was an outcry against it. International observers commented unfavourably about the delay and recommended an earlier announcement of the results. It remains an issue which has not yet been resolved. It is surprising that there has not been no been review of the basis on which results are declared. I wrote about it before carried in Sunday Stabroek on January 26, 2014 (‘Election results’).
In a report in SN on January 15 the Chairman of Gecom, Dr Steve Surujbally is reported to have said in response to a call from the PPP for an earlier declaration of election results, that “while the commission will move expeditiously to declare the results of the upcoming General Elections it will not sacrifice accuracy to do so.” Much the same sentiments were expressed in another statement quoted in another section of the press yesterday.
Is accuracy only guaranteed by the announcements of results from statements of poll in the