@Former Member posted:PPP GECOM Commissioners unaware of letter to Chief Immigration Officer
Opposition nominated Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Sase Gunraj on Friday questioned the source of a letter written to the Chief Immigration Officer following allegations that citizens who were not in Guyana for the March 02, 2020 elections were marked off as having voted.
Gunraj and his colleague Commissioners from the opposition People’s Progressive Party claim that any such letter did not emanate from the Commission and if it did then they were not informed.
Gunraj comments came moments after APNU+AFC nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander said that the electoral body had dispatched a letter to the Chief Immigration Officer earlier in the week.
Calls are now being made for clarity on who sent the letter, upon whose authority and approval, with what intent and why are coalition nominated Commissioners aware while the Opposition nominated Commissioners are left in the dark.
Telephone calls to the Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward for clarity on this issue proved futile Friday.
In the context of the veracity of this disclosure by Alexander, there are fresh calls for the relevant authorities to aggressively investigate the inflation of figures by Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition.
The letter sent by GECOM reportedly contains a list of names of persons who are alleged to have voted while not being in Guyana.
Alexander said the move is for GECOM to ascertain whether there is any truth to the claims that “migrant electors” voted in a manner that amounts to electoral fraud.
But Gunraj said he is unaware of any such missive. He also says that the electoral body has no legal powers to investigate the allegations migrated voters.
“The law does not allow GECOM to conduct any investigation and further as far I know the Commission has taken no decision to investigate, Gunraj added.
Gunraj now questions whether the Secretariat of GECOM would have dispatched the letter.
“Indeed, if the Secretariat is engaged in such an activity they are engaging in a frolic of their own and will have consequences… assuming but not conceding it must be met with consequences,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PPP in a subsequent statement on its Facebook page said Alexander is notably silent on the fraud perpetrated by Clairmont Mingo and apparently has no desire to have this investigated as it should be.
The PPP’s Anil Nandlall has called on the Chairman of GECOM Justice (retired) Claudette Singh to clarify the claims that GECOM is in communication with the Chief Immigration Officer on matters relating to migrant voting.
Nandlall questioned whether the letter was sent by the Secretariat, headed by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.
“If this is so it means there is an unholy collaboration between Government Commissioners and certain elements in the secretariat acting in consort to carry out the agenda of the APNU+AFC… the Secretariat will be acting in subordination and without authority,” he added.
The PPP also wants the CEO to say urgently whether he or the Chairman has given directions to embark on an exercise outside of their remit.
“It appears that Alexander, a central figure in the APNU+AFC plot to rig the elections, has abrogated unto himself the role of GECOM spokesperson. He seems to be working with Roxanne Myers and others of the Secretariat to undermine the Commission and to give credence to APNU+AFC’s false allegations,” the PPP statement noted.
