Guyana Elections 2020

Dear Editor, Today marks one hundred and nineteen days during which Guyanese have been waiting the results of the General and Regional elections of March 2.

Describing Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield as a “runaway train” in light of his recent actions, Presidential Candidate of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) Ralph Ramkarran says that Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Claudette Singh will sooner or later have to take a stand.

Dear Editor, I have seen a press release from Keith Lowenfield who currently occupies the position of Chief Election Officer and one must wonder who advises him when he purports to issue such statements.

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.

Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield yesterday defended his decision to invalidate the votes of over 115,000 citizens that were cast at the March 2nd polls by saying that he has acted lawfully, which the main opposition later said was “simply an untruth.”

In the face of mounting regional and international pressure to concede, the APNU+AFC coalition yesterday voiced its support for the report submitted by Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield that claims it won the March 2 polls after he discarded over 115,000 votes.

The outgoing chair of CARICOM, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley yesterday firmly stood by her position in relation to Guyana’s protracted elections, saying to her detractors here that “The truth hurts”.

A clear act of insubordination is how one source has described the report submitted by Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield to GECOM on Tuesday in which he erased over 115,000 votes from the March 2nd general elections.

Norway’s Ambassador to Guyana, Nils Martin Gunneng yesterday joined the call for the national recount of votes to be used for the declaration of the result from the controversy-laden March 2nd general elections.

Noting its commitment to bringing a timely conclusion to the impasse over Guyana’s March 2 elections that has been brought before it, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has designated all of next Wednesday for dealing with the matter.

Following a ruling on Monday by the Appeal Court, Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield yesterday submitted to the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) what he claims to be a report of the “valid and credible votes” cast at the March 2 polls.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has issued an order that restrains the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) from declaring the results of the March 2nd polls, following an approach by the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to challenge Monday’s ruling by Guyana’s Court of Appeal on the constitutional meaning of “votes cast” at the March 2 polls.

President David Granger, once very vocal about the role of CARICOM in the National Recount has been silent on the report submitted last week by the three-person scrutinizing team which observed the process.

While declaring that the March 2nd election “has gone on long enough”, the Organization of American States (OAS) yesterday called for the process to be “brought to an end, based on the results of the national recount.”

The Guyana Court of Appeal by majority decision has issued an order that the words “more votes are cast” as per Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana should be interpreted to mean “more valid votes are cast” in keeping with the definition of valid votes as outlined in Order 60 of 2020 (Recount Order) but the ruling appears superfluous as GECOM has already decided the valid votes.

The Guyana Court of Appeal is ruling on the challenge by Eslyn David that has been mounted to prevent the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from using the results of the recount from the March 2nd elections to make a final declaration.

Guyana’s Court of Appeal is set to rule tomorrow on the challenge that has been mounted to prevent the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) from using the results of the recount from the March 2nd elections to make a final declaration.

Underlining the supremacy of the Constitution, GECOM Chair Claudette Singh yesterday urged the dismissal of a case before the Guyana Court of Appeal seeking to stop the declaration of results for the March 2nd general elections.

Saying that the APNU+AFC coalition has been deliberately fooling its supporters with grossly exaggerated claims of electoral fraud, former minister Dominic Gaskin yesterday urged the incumbent to be honest and accepts its defeat and work towards regaining the swing voters it will need to win any future elections.

The Justice For All Party (JFAP), a member of the incumbent APNU+AFC coalition, yesterday said it recognised that the opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has won the March 2nd elections and it argued that presidential candidate Irfaan Ali should be allowed to be sworn in without any delay.