Government-nominated GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander yesterday addressed the claim by APNU+AFC that a number of unstamped ballots detected during the National Recount had been cast by members of the disciplined services on February 20.
“It is my proposition that one could be certain…if the number of unstamped ballots correspond with the number of intermixed ballots. So we are to pursue that course,” Alexander said in response to questions from journalists.
He added that so far the Commission has not been able to unearth such corresponding numbers but has noted that the incidence of unstamped ballots appear to be higher at those polling stations where intermixing occurred. Observers note than only a small number of unstamped ballots have been detected.
Guyana’s electoral system provides for the counting of Disciplined Forces ballots to take place at one Polling Station in each Electoral District.
According to the Polling Day manual, “prior to Election Day, the Chief Election Officer will cause to be delivered to the Returning Officer of each District concerned, sealed PE 20 envelopes containing ballots cast by members of the Disciplined Forces accompanied by sealed PE 12 envelopes containing the Ballot Paper Account.”
At some convenient time before the close of the poll, the Presiding Officer (PO) is expected to open the envelopes received with the marked ballot papers and Tendered Ballot Papers. Once open the PO will without unfolding count these ballot papers, check the accompanying Ballot Paper Account [Form 23] to verify that the total is correct and inform Polling Agents of the proposed action to intermix the Disciplined Forces Ordinary Ballots with the Ordinary Ballots of the Polling Station.
At this point the PO stamps each of the ballot papers at the top for General Election and at the bottom for Regional Elections in its folded state and inserts folded ballot papers in the ballot box.
The disciplined service ballot therefore becomes indistinguishable from every other ballot cast in those polling stations and the secrecy of the ballot is maintained in keeping with Guyana’s laws.
As part of its attack on the credibility of the March 2 General and Regional Elections, the incumbent has argued that ballots cast by the disciplined services were rejected by polling day staff.
In a video broadcast on Monday on the APNU+AFC coalition’s Facebook page, former Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon said that the national recount has so far seen a number of discrepancies. Among the issues raised by Harmon was the reported unstamped ballots from the disciplined services.
Noting that voting by the disciplined services occurs on D-Day rather than E-Day Harmon explained that the ballots are however stamped and counted on E-day. He claimed that coalition agents have found that on numerous occasions these ballots were not stamped and therefore deemed “invalid”.
“A vast number of disciplined services men and women their votes were not counted… It was clear that the majority of the disciplined services were in support of the APNU+AFC and it would appear to be a calculated effort to ensure that those votes, which they knew were to come our way, would be deemed invalid,” Harmon said, adding that members of the services have expressed disgust and anger at this state of affairs.
Harmon’s contention was challenged by Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition PPP/C, Mark Phillips who argued that of all the ballot boxes recounted thus far, there were less than 4000 rejected ballots and less than 100 of which were unstamped.
An examination of the March 4 declarations (these do not include District 4) show that a total of just over 100 of the 2481 ballots rejected were rejected for “want of official mark”. A much larger number were rejected as “unmarked or void for uncertainty.” The Certificates issued after recount do not disaggregate rejected ballots.
Phillips said it is “mischievous” and “irresponsible” for anyone to report that the Joint Services votes were not counted in the election.
“…Our hard-working joint services, first and foremost, they are citizens of Guyana and they participated in this process and their votes were counted. Their votes represent the respect for the will of the people….We are here at the recount of the votes in keeping with the expression that the will of the people of Guyana including the joint services are respected before we conclude this process,” he said.
