The Commonwealth Charter recognises the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live and for this right to be protected and respected.
Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland
In last week’s article, we referred to the judicial intervention sought by one Eslyn David in relation to the recently completed recount of the votes cast in the 2020 elections. The recount showed that the PPP/C won the elections by 15,416 votes, having garnered 233,336 of the valid votes cast against APNU+AFC’s 217,920. All the political parties contesting the elections, except APNU+AFC, have signed the statements of recount for all the regions, certifying the accuracy and validity of the recount. The CARICOM Scrutinising Team also issued its report in which it stated that the results reflected the will of the people, except for minor discrepancies that did not have a material effect on the overall result. Both the President and GECOM have stated that the elections were free and fair, a view that was also held by all the accredited observers as well as the diplomatic community that observed the elections.