The opposition PPP/C yesterday express-ed “grave doubt” over the credibility and transparency of the impending national recount of votes from the March 2 polls, after Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh voted against a majority of proposals made by opposition-nominated commissioners that they say were intended to “safeguard” the process.
“The way the Chairperson has voted on the issues… must be a cause for concern for the future of democracy in Guyana. It provides answers to many questions which have occupied every Guyanese, the diplomatic and the international community over the past 2 months,” the PPP/C said in a statement last evening, while accusing Singh of reneging on a commitment to ensure the process “is done fairly, transparently, expeditiously and in accordance with the law.”
Instead, the PPP/C charged, her positions closely resemble the proposals of government-nominated commissioner Vincent Alexander. Saying that Singh voted against “crucial safeguards,” the PPP/C added that “there is now grave doubt whether this recount process will be credible and transparent.”
Earlier in the day, opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo expressed disappointment that GECOM rejected proposals from the PPP/C-nominated commissioners and said that he was not optimistic that the count will be done swiftly or within the 25-day period floated.
Speaking during a virtual media briefing, Jagdeo said that while the PPP/C was examining the terms outlined by GECOM yesterday, it would also register its concern about the process for the selection of Guyana Police Force (GPF) ranks, who will form the security detail at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the recount of the ballots will be done. He believes that the security team will be handpicked by APNU Chairman and Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon, and claimed that they will ultimately execute duties according to his directives.
“We were hoping that the Chair of GECOM, after the court matters were dealt with, would have expeditiously moved forward with the recount. And all we asked for in the PPP was that it be done quickly and transparently,” Jagdeo said.
“We made proposals…for several weeks now, the Chair has been prevaricating, dillydallying, procrastinating in making decisions,” he added.
GECOM yesterday announced that it is aiming for a 25-day recount process and indicated that the terms will be published soon in an Order, which will be gazetted.
The PPP countered the 25-day proposal with a two-week timeframe and proposed ten actions, but the commission stuck to its decision, saying that it was also subject to review.
In its motions, which were proposed to the commissioners for voting, the PPP called for a release of the statements of polls from the March 2nd general and regional elections for Region Four to the commissioners; that the Audit Office of Guyana or an audit firm observe the count. The party also proposed that the recount be livestreamed, that it be done in 14 days; that certain staff be removed from the process; and the count should not take the form of an audit.
Also, Jagdeo said that there must be measures to ensure transparency of the tabulation; that the recount commences with districts One and Four simultaneously; that international observers be invited back immediately; and that the declaration of the election results of District Four by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo on March 13th be set aside, revoked, annulled and rescinded by GECOM.
“They are all designed to ensure transparency of the process,” Jagdeo said.
Surprise
He informed that the ten motions were made public because the PPP/C was fed-up of the sloth of Singh.
Jagdeo said that his party was surprised when last week Thursday, Singh sent an email with just basic information on the structural set up for the process and no details on what the counting process would entail.
He noted that the PPP’s lawyer Anil Nandlall wrote a letter to Singh and reminded her of the many delays already faced, even as he asked that she ensure that the process is swift. “We asked for transparency and urgency in that letter,” he said.
According to Jagdeo, Singh responded and noted the contents of the missive but said that the commission was at the time still deliberating on matters relating to the recounting exercise. Singh also assured that she was “doing everything legal and procedurally required” to ensure that the recount commences and concludes in a reasonable manner.
“One would think from this letter the Chair was having discussions [that] the recount would be done in an expeditious manner and transparent and credible,” Jagdeo said.
To his party’s surprise, Jagdeo said, GECOM made its own proposal and the PPP does not accept this as it sees it as a way to continue delaying the completion of the recount. “We cannot continue like this; something has to give,” he stressed.
“We need to bring this to a conclusion swiftly. We decided yesterday that we will have to trigger a decision by the Chair one way or the other so that the country sees where she stands. She writes one thing and does another…she often sides with APNU in slowing down the process…or harmful to a transparent recount,” he said.
Critical to transparency, Jagdeo said, would have been the livestreaming of the recount process but he claimed that Singh voted it down and “this is what APNU wanted.”
Jagdeo said that as the party focuses on the 25-day proposal, there are other issues that need to be addressed and that is the staffing detail for the recount site. He said that the GPF should be responsible for designating duties for security staff but he believes that this will be done by Harmon. This, he said, the party is “afraid” of because of past experiences on March 2nd and onwards at GECOM’s offices.
