Government-appointed GECOM commissioners suggested at a meeting of GECOM today that President David Granger and PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo meet on the way forward as the recount tabulation was “not acceptable”.
GECOM’s meeting which started at 11 am has now been adjourned to 2 pm today.
The move appears to be a further attempt to avoid the recount result which has been validated by the Caribbean Court of Justice and which shows a win for the PPP/C.
The proposal for the meeting was forwarded by Commissioner Charles Corbin and he told reporters that GECOM Chair Claudette Singh acceded to the request for the meeting.
Commissioner Vincent Alexander said that Singh has since spoken to both Granger and Jagdeo.
Corbin said that the motivator for the recount was an agreement between Granger and Jagdeo. He added that based on the “evidence” thrown up in the recount the use of the recount result could generate “a lot of ripples in the society”, notwithstanding that GECOM could make a decision on its own.
He said that what was proposed was that there be an engagement among the leaders in the same way to determine the way forward.
Corbin said that the Chair agreed to the suggestion after “some exchanges” and then spoke to both leaders.
While the Commissioners spoke, protesters in support of APNU+AFC could be heard in the background. They chanted “valid votes only”. The recount result has however been upheld by the courts as valid.
Beleaguered Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield was present at the meeting.
It is unclear why Chairman Singh did not designate today’s meeting as an opportunity to certify the results of March 2nd general elections. She has been accused of facilitating dilatory tactics by APNU+AFC and as having been responsible for the chaos that followed the elections.
