Dear Editor,
Can the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) make all the smart and necessary logistical decisions to try to ensure that the national recount exercise, currently ongoing at a snail’s pace, does not exceed the 25 days by a ludicrous number of days? We voted on March 2nd, 2020, and to date, a Government elected by the people is yet to be installed.
The CARICOM observation team has not confirmed if they will extend their stay. What happens if they leave? Does it, therefore, mean the process will be without the scrutiny of any international observers to help ensure our free and fair election day was not in vain. The smart thing to do right now is for GECOM to focus their attention on ensuring all the ballots in the Electoral District number four, which had not one, but two fraudulent declarations, are counted. If you are still not convinced of this and if you cannot see what is wrong with Mingo’s numbers, then you are a phony champion of democracy.
However, Electoral District number four, the most populous voting district, will ultimately determine the winner of the March 2 National and Regional elections. It is imperative to ensure Electoral District number four is completed soonest and then focus on the less populated regions. The two additional stations should be to speed up the counting of Electoral District number four, especially since we are not sure if the CARICOM team will be here beyond the 25 days.
GECOM is again trying to seek permission from the COVID-19 taskforce to now increase from 12 to 14 work stations. Great move, more stations, but the only way to truly be productive and smart, is to have all new stations focus on Electoral District number four and not what stations 11 and 12 were assigned to count. Hopefully these new stations will be allocated to complete the district with the most discrepancies.
It seems as though all the other Electoral Districts will be done before Electoral District number four is concluded. However, if CARICOM leaves, what guarantees are there that the level of transparency we have now will continue? It should be noted that tainted persons from the original tabulation process of Electoral District number four at Ashmins Building, are still a part of this recount process. The media is already beyond the fence of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. Will there be yet another attempt to alter the results of Electoral District number four? Or is that why there are slow teams and numerous objections without evidence? It is crucial for our democracy that Electoral District number four is done within the 25 days period. As it is, our democracy is hanging on by a thread, our democracy needs this to be done.
Yours faithfully,
Nutana Singh
