Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo completed the count of votes cast in the General Election just after 7 pm this evening amidst objections from several political parties as well as international and local observers.
Speaking with reporters outside of GECOM ‘s Cowan Street headquarters, Lenox Shuman the presidential candidate for the Liberty and Justice Party described the process as a travesty.
“What is happening here should disturb all of us. There is a clear indication that the numbers in the sheets have been altered in the favour of the APNU+AFC,” Shuman said.
The “sheet” he was referring to are the Statements of Polls (SOPs) which Chief Justice Roxane George ordered Mingo to make visible to all stakeholders during the tabulation of votes.
GECOM has attempted to facilitate compliance with this requirement by making available a scanner, projector and “screen” so that the SOPs in Mingo possession can be seen by those present.
According to Shuman in some cases the number of votes recorded on some SOPs exceeded the number of Electors for that polling station.
“It is a travesty…when you look APNU numbers are clearly inflated…in some cases twos have become threes and zeros have become eights. What comes out of this cannot be good for Guyana. At some point we have to consider what is in the best interest of the country,” he stressed.
Shuman called out the Alliance for Change and Working People’s Alliance for being part of a process he labeled corrupt.
“A party that has championed change has become voiceless. There are scant words from them other than in support of this corrupt process,” he said of the AFC while lamented that the party that Dr Walter Rodney formed is actively participating in a process that is not legitimate.
Shuman ‘ s claims were supported by opposition nominated commissioner Sase Gunraj who said that RO Mingo was preventing all questions.
Government-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander however disagreed.
“I’m not seeing alterations but they could be clearer,” he said.
According to Alexander the process does not provide for queries at this stage.
“There is a process and time where they can raise concerns…the law provides for them to note a difference between what they have and what is presented. They can make a request for a recount,” he explained.
