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At least 93 boxes of balllots must be counted daily to meet 25-day deadline- PPP

 

Prime Ministerial candidate for the People’s Progressive Party, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Prime Ministerial candidate, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips on Tuesday said the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) needs to count at least 93 boxes of ballots per day to finish the recount by May 31.

“By my calculation, we should be counting somewhere about ninety-three or more boxes per day in order to reach the twenty-five-day deadline and you know better than I do that we are far from doing ninety-three,” said Phillips who has not been seen publicly in political circles for several weeks.

GECOM spokeswoman, Yolanda Ward said at the end of Tuesday, 76 boxes were recounted at the now 12 workstations, two more having been added from Tuesday following approval by the National COVID-19 Task Force.

Phillips said, like the PPPC, he hoped that GECOM would establish “additional counting stations” at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown “as soon as possible because we are behind the curve.”

The former Chief-of-Staff reasoned that it would be possible to increase the number of stations in keeping with the COVID-19 protocols. The Task Force ditched GECOM’s plan to establish at least six more stations, citing poor adherence by GECOM staff at the recount centre to the anti-coronavirus rules such as social distancing, wearing of masks, availability of sanitisers and soaps.

Elections Commissioner, Vincent Alexander has already said the recount would go beyond May 31 and that the GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh and the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Irwin La Rocque would have to arrange for the three-member team of regional scrutineers to extend their stay in Guyana to oversee the recount.

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GECOM Chairman reportedly targets 100 boxes of ballots daily; PPP ready to suppprt 7-day extension

The Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Claudette Singh reportedly on Wednesday told a meeting with the opposition that she wants at least 100 boxes of ballots to be reccounted daily in order to meet the May 31 deadline.

 

This appears to be in line with Elections Commissioner, Vincent Alexander saying that GECOM would work with the COVID-19 Task Force to get approval for less than five more workstations.

Her target of 100 boxes per day came one day after GECOM counted 76 boxes of ballots with the addition of two workstations to the previously used 10.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) presidential candidate, Dr. Irfaan Ali told a news briefing said his party would be willing to support an extension of the 25-day recount by one week to take it to June 7, 2020.

The PPP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillip’s on Tuesday said at least 93 boxes must be counted daily to meet the May 31 deadline.

Ally again said he was satisfied with the recount of the 2,339 boxes of ballots  apart from the slothfulness of the process.

Ally said he and his delegation also proposed to GECOM that a shift system be put in place to help fast-track the recount exercise.

GECOM is expected to inform the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General , Irwin La Rocque that it would like to extend the stay of the three scrutineers from Antigua, St. Vincent, and Barbados.

The PPP presidential candidate also used the opportunity to talk up inclusive governance but side-stepped questions on Executive power-sharing.

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Last edited by Django

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