The Chair of the Elections Commission had written to the Chief Election Officer (CEO) requesting him to submit a report ‘using the valid votes counted in the National Recount as per Certificates of Recount generated therefrom’. In response, the CEO stated that he needed a number of clarifications but the Chair stood her ground because her letter was clear as to what the CEO must do. He was then was given one day’s extension to make his submission. The CEO complied, but instead his submission included the contaminated results of Region 4 in a report he had presented to the Commission on 13 March. That report was held in abeyance pending the outcome of the recount exercise.