Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield yesterday proposed a 156-day-long recount of ballots from the disputed March 2 general and regional elections, which the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) defended even as most of the contesting parties dubbed it unacceptable.
“He has given a proposal for the recount and it gives 156 days as the time for completion, which I find untenable,” PPP/C-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj told Stabroek News yesterday, following the conclusion of a Com-mission meeting.
Gunraj said he found Lowenfield’s proposal absurd and unreasonable, given that this country has already been waiting for over a month for results from less than 500,000 voter and feels that it is an insult to the people of this country.
He said that he expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposal and will make a counter proposal which he hopes will find favour with the Commission.
“This is untenable right now and more particularly given the state this country finds itself in and I have indicated that I will tomorrow submit a proposal, when we meet at 9am. This is just unacceptable,” he said. He believes that a week-long recount is possible.
His stance was echoed by fellow PPP/C-nominated Commissioner Robeson Benn, who expressed disquiet over the proposal. “The Secretariat itself is not being helpful and practical…There are all kinds of reasons being proffered, none of them practical, none of them in documentation which could be interpreted in such a way,” he told reporters.
The commissioners’ posture on the proposal was subsequently rebuked by the Secretariat, which swiftly published a statement defending the schedule as it explained that a number of factors were taken into account and that the proposal was still being discussed.
“The Secretariat finds the comments by the Com-missioners absurd, distasteful and unethical, particularly since they are aware that the proposal considered the decisions of the Commission and its content is still being discussed for finalization,” the statement said.
The Secretariat said that the time proposed factored in the conditions created by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“Though cognizant that the 156 days proposed for the activity may be quite a lengthy duration in the present circumstance, the Secretariat had to consider matters of law in relation to the procedures to conduct a recount; approved decisions of the Commission and the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting the health situation of the population,” the statement said.
“In this regard, the Secretariat considered the request by the Commission for each ballot to be projected on screen, examination of the contents of the ballot box i.e. ascertaining the number of electors on the list, the number of electors who voted, counting votes cast for both General and Regional Election and validation of spoilt, questioned and rejected ballots. Against this backdrop, the estimated time for one ballot box to be counted was projected to be two hours; utilizing 3 workstations for 10 hours per day (9:00hrs -19:00hrs) at a central location to count 2339 boxes. Hence, the projected duration as indicated,” it added.
‘Ridiculous’
However, the Secretariat’s explanation only prompted scathing criticisms by many of the parties that contested the elections and have been waiting for over a month for the results to be properly declared.
All of the parties this newspaper spoke with said that they believed that the 156-day proposal was a delay tactic by Lowenfield.
“The proposal presented by the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) for a recount of the ballots is simply ridiculous,” the PPP said in a statement last evening.
Underscoring that the law provides for a 90-day period for preparation of elections, the party said that it could not see a logical reasoning behind the Lowenfield’s calculations. “The entire country’s results are normally totaled in about 2 hours after the close of poll and the law provides 15 days for declaration of results, including recounts and further recounts. Yet, Keith Lowenfield wants almost 6 months to count less than 500,000 ballots,” the PPP said.
The party said that it believes that Lowenfield was laying the foundation to derail the electoral process and thwart the will of the electorate. “Many components of the proposal presented are either unnecessary or are simply put forward to provide opportunities to corrupt the recounting process,” the PPP/C stated.
It called on GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh “to not only be vigilant, but to act decisively in respect of the proposals and, most importantly, in ensuring a fair and transparent framework is established in accordance with the law to facilitate an expedient recounting process that will enjoy the confidence of not only the stakeholders, but the nation and the international community.”
Today, the PPP/C-nominated commissioners will present what the opposition believes is a comprehensive proposal “which is in keeping with the law and will conclude the process within two weeks. “
It said that it would not accept any proposal it believes is “farcical” and which is designed to keep the APNU+AFC in office longer. “The nation’s patience is wearing thin with each passing day,” it said.
‘Unacceptable’
Speaking for Change Guyana, Presidential Candidate Robert Badal said that whatever resources are needed to expedite the process to allow for a maximum duration of two weeks should be made available. “I don’t understand the basis under which they came up with this. We had recounts before. We would not accept a period of more than a week or two to have the recount. How can one ballot box take two hours? Whatever resources are needed to do it in a reasonable time… then they need to get those and start and complete this process, in the interest of this country moving forward,” he said.
“This is simply unacceptable. The contesting parties have to all band together. They have to say ‘we need one week and whatever resources you need get it, so that it could be executed in a week’s time’. We must do this,” he added.
To Lowenfield, Badal sent a strong message, telling him that his actions are not just about him and his party and that further delaying will have social and economic impacts on this county and could tarnish its global image. “It is not just about him or a party. The impact on our country moving forward is dependent on this. While they are paid to do a job, any sanction or delaying in giving a credible result will affect the economy of this country and ultimately it is the poor of this country that will feel the brunt of those decisions. Credible results ensure that our democracy is upheld, which is a requisite for our participation among progressive countries. As the first world countries are already saying, the image of this country and its people will forever be tarnished if it fails to deliver credible results,” he added.
“Wherever he is getting his instructions from, I want to remind him that he is reporting to the people of this country, all of whom are watching his daily activities. So far, we are not happy with the way he has conducted the elections since March the 2nd,” he added.
‘Alternative agenda’
Liberty and Justice Party Presidential Candidate Lenox Shuman told this newspaper that it is already an absurdity that Guyana has been waiting for 35 days and to add another five months borders on “insanity”.
“It is absurd to say that you would need two hours per ballot box when the country has been waiting for 35 days. The fact that Mr. Lowenfield worked for over a decade with the Commission and cannot come up with a plan today is beyond insanity. There is clearly an alternative agenda,” he said.
“Considering the first tabulation would have been completed in under 48 hours, what we can do is bring all of the Returning Officers, except Mr. Clairmont Mingo from Region Four, bring the clerks and their main ROs, scrutineers, and work towards that schedule. In one week, we could do it,” he added.
Shuman said that his party is hopeful that “we will conclude these elections in the timeliest manner. I say in under two weeks. Then we can turn our attention to not only the pandemic, but the economic downturn that would hit this country immediately and the food shortage, among other things.”
‘Dangerous and irresponsible’
Another new contestant, The Citizen’s Initiative, also ridiculed the proposal.
Its representative, Ruel Johnson, said that the Commission also has to take into consideration that if May 11th passes and there is no declaration, then it plunges this country into a constitutional crisis. “We believe it is irrational and impractical. The 156 days not only is bad planning and bad math, but it takes us into the realm of a constitutional crisis. After May 11, without Parliamentary consensus, Granger has no constitutional right to the Presidency since the five-year deadline is going to come to an end. A recount can be done within three weeks. Whoever emerges as winner can then work to establish the legitimate government infrastructure that is necessary to not only govern, but govern in the time of a pandemic. Only a legitimate government, with a legislature in place, will be able to access the US$56.2 million in the Natural Resources Fund in New York,” Johnson said.
“What needs to be done is that the OAS, the Commonwealth and CARICOM as lead observers/scrutineers need to be accommodated to oversee a process with about 10 workstations – monitored by cameras – doing two daily 10-hour shifts. We can use the Arthur Chung Convention Centre and spread out the workstations, including in individual rooms, so as to maintain requisite social-distancing as to prevent the possible transmission of COVID-19. What is going on with GECOM and government would be dangerous and irresponsible in itself, but even worse in the middle of a pandemic,” he added while also calling on the GECOM Chairperson to “use her role and the full powers of the Commission to move this process forward with both expedience and integrity.”
And while executive of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) Timothy Jonas said that he is pleased that the PPP/C commissioners will today give a counter proposal, he believes that they should have been more proactive.
He blasted Lowenfield for what he believes is a unilateral decision, even as he expressed that the other commissioners should have pressured him to peruse the document before yesterday’s meeting.
“Under Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, it stated that if a counting agent asks the returning officer for a recount, they are required to recount. Do you think the act contemplates this?” he questioned.
“What is sad is that none of the commissioners have taken an informed approach, to see how this thing is done, to ask questions and to make informed suggestions, so that we can move forward. All we are left with is Lowenfield’s unhelpful statements—bureaucracy at its best—and obstructionist statements. One hundred and fifty-five days to do a count! When you are a member in charge of the process, and you are going into a meeting, at the very least you require the information at hand so you can consider it and you understand the system so that you are prepared to ask questions and make a meaningful contribution to fix the problem. So, far, all we have been told in a vacuum is that Lowenfield said something, but there is no answer,” he added.
