Day 21 of the national recount concluded yesterday with a total of 82 ballot boxes being recounted and as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) falls farther behind its 25-day schedule two more work stations could be added today.
Yesterday’s tally brings the total number of boxes counted thus far to 1,206 of the 2,339 used on March 2nd just over half the total or 51.5%.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GECOM, Yolanda Ward last evening told the media that of the 82 boxes 18 were from Region 3, 18 from Region 6, seven from Region 5, seven from Region Seven, 21 from Region 4, five from Region 8 and six from Region 9.
Ward noted that the recount of ballots cast in Region 5 was completed yesterday and the count for Regions 8 and 9 had commenced.
Two of the twelve work stations had been designated for the recount of Region 5. According to Ward, one of those stations is now being allocated for the recount of Region 8 while the other is assigned to Region 9.
The regions for which ballots are currently being recounted are Region 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
The exercise initially commenced with ten work stations. A proposal to add an additional six stations was rejected by the National COVID-19 Task Force which instead approved two new stations. The taskforce in making the recommendation expressed concern that the tabulation centre was congested and GECOM staff and party agents were not adhering to containment and mitigation measures established by WHO/ PAHO to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
At the Tabulation Centre, Ward noted that 1169 General Statements of Recount (SOR) were generated and 1177 of the regional SORs.
`No firm decision’
The exercise which commenced on May 6th is being conducted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). Counting is being done every day for an 11-hour period starting from 8 am and concluding at 7 pm.
It had been proposed in the recount order that the entire process could be completed within 25 days but so far the Commission would need twice as many days to process the 2,339 boxes generated at the March 2, 2020 elections.
The Commission yesterday held a meeting to discuss an extension of the timeline for the process and to make a decision on the addition of two more work stations to speed up the process.
However, Opposition-appointed GECOM commissioner Sase Gunraj yesterday afternoon told the media that the meeting ended with “no firm” decision being made on a possible timeline for the process to be completed.
“……What I believe the entire meeting agreed on today if it agreed on anything is for a date to have some definitive end to this process and in getting there that the efficiency that we are currently operating on needs to be improved and improved significantly,” Gunraj explained.
In his address to the media following the meeting yesterday, Gunraj said that he believes that one factor that can “greatly” improve the process is the addition of more work stations. “…The first issue. We are still anxiously awaiting a decision on the addition of new work stations. I maintain that it is the singular most important factor in improving the pace at which this process will be concluded,” he said.
Several locations
Gunraj added that the Commission has identified several locations within the facility where the new counting stations can be placed. “…..We know what the (COVID-19) guidelines are. We know what the extent of the facility here is. I believe that we just need to go ahead and implement them but that’s just my belief,” he stated.
He added that the inclusion of two work stations recently has seen an increase in the number of boxes counted per a day. “….And I believe that with the addition of more stations that the number can rise and rise significantly. That is to say the number of boxes that we process per day,” Gunraj said.
According to Gunraj, the commission continues to look at ways at how it can increase the efficiency at the current work stations. “The Commission recognized that several of its processes are not operating with maximum benefit and efficiency and as a consequence has agreed to take steps in relation to speeding up that,” he said.
One factor, he said that the Commission is working on is the afternoon “malaise” that is present.
The issue of work stations closing before the stipulated time has been a recurring one.
Gunraj explained that recounting at a number of work stations tends to stop around 5-5.30pm instead of accommodating at least one other box.
It was previously noted that these stations would oftentimes not proceed to another box since counting can last beyond the 7pm deadline.
In this regard, Gunraj explained that he along with others including members of the observers team have taken a decision to go to work stations around this time and look at the process with a view to ensuring that maximum efficiency is being generated at that time so at least one other box can be accommodated. “…Because every day that you lose an hour in a station, multiplying it by the
number of stations across, you are losing almost one work day per a station … he said.
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) executive member Anil Nandlall also stated that the process once again saw a “major battle” yesterday to get ballot boxes out of the containers as 5.30 pm approached.
At 5.31pm, Nandlall explained that four of the work stations “automatically” closed. “Shut off operations and you know they would have completed their boxes and they were refusing to accept new boxes to count,” he said.
He noted that he had to engage the hierarchy of GECOM to get a “few” boxes to be released from the container.
In relation to one of them, Nandlall said an APNU+AFC agent packed up and left at 5.30 pm. Though there was a box to be counted, he said the supervisor decided not to proceed to open the box because the agent withdrew. “So you have these kinds of challenges being erected as you go along on a day-to-day basis and … you have to keep fighting to surmount the various hurdles that are being erected but slowly and surely we are getting there,” Nandlall added.
Gunraj further explained that in terms of the pace of the process, one of the issues that the commission discussed is incentivizing performance so that stations or employees who performed better can benefit from an incentive.
He added that personally he is concerned about the impact the prolonged continuation of the process will have on members of the observer team from CARICOM. “..I believe it is unfair to have persons invited for a specific period and then you are asking them to continue to participate in this process for an undefined period. So we are looking as best as possible to do that so that there would be a defined time…..I believe that there should be some definition on a definite end date to this process,” Gunraj stated.
Far behind
Nandlall told reporters outside the ACCC last evening that he had several engagements with GECOM Chairperson Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh who informed him and other members of his delegation that two other work stations will be established today.
Nandlall explained that his party is hoping that when/if implemented, the additional work stations will be designated to Region 4. “So hopefully we get an additional two stations tomorrow (today) and we are hoping that both would be dedicated to the counting of Region 4 ballots because as you know that is the largest number of ballot boxes to be counted and we really need additional stations because we are far behind the deadline,” Nandlall said.
He related that there is no doubt anymore that the deadline will not be met. “The 25 days deadline even if we get the two stations. So GECOM has to now consider extending the timeframe unfortunately to compete the exercise,” Nandlall added.
The ballots are being recounted after controversy sprung up over a fraudulent spreadsheet created for District Four by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.
According to Nandlall, as the process comes to an end, a clear picture is emerging and continues to confirm PPP Statements of Polls.
“We are coming to the end and the picture is emerging very clearly. Every box that is being counted and this has been so from the inception, continues to confirm that. Every single box. And the boxes that Mingo contaminated, we are able to show you and show the world clearly not only the fraud that he perpetrated but the magnitude and gravity of that fraud….So that picture is emerging and the picture of the PPP’s statements of poll being proven accurate, that picture is also emerging and with every passing day, the picture becomes clearer and the picture becomes bigger and that is driving the APNU+AFC into a state of clear desperation,” Nandlall contended.
