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GECOM agrees to recall CARICOM team to “validate” recount; Chief Elections Officer to craft plan

 

The seven-member Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has agreed that a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) high-level team should return to “validate” the recount of last month’s general election votes, even as the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield prepares a recount plan, elections commissioner Vincent Alexander said Monday.

“We have decided today that our preference in terms of an external body to give some validation, that it’s CARICOM,” Alexander told reporters.

Speaking with the media after a more than three-hour commission meeting, he virtually ruled out any other observer mission coming to witness the recount of the votes of the March 2, 2020 polls. “In terms of validation, the only body that at this time we’ll be referencing is CARICOM for validation purposes… The others were never for validation. The others were observers. CARICOM came into the process with a particular role; that role is a modified form that we are retaining. The others were never under consideration for validation purposes. They are observers,” he said.

But, People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Elections Commissioner, Sase Gunraj gave a slightly different account, saying the commission decided to ask observers to indicate whether they would like to come to observe the process. On the issue of CARICOM, he expected that Secretary-General, Irwin LaRocque would be asked to reengage the team. “I believe that we need to have some form of finality on our end as to when we’ll begin to pass that information on to them ,” Gunraj added.

Alexander said CARICOM would be informed “soonest” that the team would be required back in Georgetown.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Keith Rowley on Monday told a news conference in Port-of-Spain that his government would be willing to recommend to CARICOM that the high-level team return to Georgetown to scrutinise the recount process.

Alexander and Gunraj confirmed that Lowenfield has been tasked with crafting a plan for the recount now that several questions and clarifications were addressed at Monday’s meeting.

Gunraj said the commission provided guidance to the Chief Elections Officer on a range of operational issues that he could provide a plan to the Commission on Wednesday. Issues that Lowenfield has to address include the conduct of the recount, the role of the commission in resolving disputes, reporting mechanism, and recording results from the recount. “We went through every one of the concerns of the CEO and attempted as best as we could to provide as much clarity to him,” Gunraj said.

He said no final decision has been taken on any of the several proposals for a recount whether concerning votes only or votes and other material.

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Private Sector Commission opposes total national recount, says it will be a “waste of time”

 

The Private Sector Commission (PSC), one of the local organisations that observed last month’ general elections,  Monday night urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to abandon plans for a total national recount of the votes cast and instead focus on Region Four where a questionable tabulation and declared results were conducted.

“It is the considered position of the PSC, after an exhaustive examination of the facts before us, that, it is only in District 4 that the tabulation and declaration of the results by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, was clearly fraudulent and has no credibility,” the umbrella business organisation said.  The PSC also called for Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers and Mingo not to have anything to do with the recount exercise.

The PSC’s position appeared to be in stark contrast to last month’s political agreement between President David Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo that a national recount would be conducted.  Jagdeo is on record as not opposing a recount and has said he would stand by the results and up to then the PSC had not opposed a national recount.

But the business community organisation Monday night in a surprise move said a national recount would take up too much of time unnecessarily.” The PSC is, therefore, convinced that it would be an entire waste of time and wholly unnecessary for GECOM to conduct a recount of the ballots cast in any District other than District 4.

The PSC holds that any request to extend the recount to Districts other than District 4 to be a deliberate, unreasonable and unacceptable attempt to delay the conclusion of the recount and urges GECOM to confine a recount to District 4,” the organisation said.

Citing travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 virus, the PSC argued that a countrywide recount of the ballots would be “almost insurmountable”, “frivolous and unnecessary.”

The PSC also called for the recount to be broadcast live on radio, and televisioon and streamed live for international observers are unable to be physically present at the GECOM recount proceedings.

The Chief Elections Officer was Wednesday expected to present a plan on how the recount would proceed including the required number and category of personnel.

K

The PPP/C appeared happy with its overall lead ahead of APNU+AFC in 9 regions. As its problem is Region 4, I think the recounting of Region 4 votes alone should suffice. Most folks want this elections jhanjhat to end ASAP.

FM
Gilbakka posted:

The PPP/C appeared happy with its overall lead ahead of APNU+AFC in 9 regions. As its problem is Region 4, I think the recounting of Region 4 votes alone should suffice. Most folks want this elections jhanjhat to end ASAP.

Why do you think this is only about what the PPP wants?  

T

Jagdeo and the rest of the opposition should not agree to a total recount.  The other nine regions were already verified and agreed by everyone.  Just complete Region four.  Agreeing to a total recount is a slippery slope and trap by the PNC!  That's how I see it. 

The Burnhamites and their Junjaweed followers do not intend to concede, it will NOT happen.  MARK MY WORDS!

Baseman
Totaram posted:
Gilbakka posted:

The PPP/C appeared happy with its overall lead ahead of APNU+AFC in 9 regions. As its problem is Region 4, I think the recounting of Region 4 votes alone should suffice. Most folks want this elections jhanjhat to end ASAP.

Why do you think this is only about what the PPP wants?  

Who else wants it, PNC? Come on man, cant you see who is holding up the election? Dont you think if APNU won they would have shown this to be so and Granger would have already been sworn in? Why the dam holdup, it is dam embarrassing for a country as small as Guyana to not have results of an election one friken month later. 

How can this be the work of the opposition?

cain
cain posted:
Totaram posted:
Gilbakka posted:

The PPP/C appeared happy with its overall lead ahead of APNU+AFC in 9 regions. As its problem is Region 4, I think the recounting of Region 4 votes alone should suffice. Most folks want this elections jhanjhat to end ASAP.

Why do you think this is only about what the PPP wants?  

Who else wants it, PNC? Come on man, cant you see who is holding up the election? Dont you think if APNU won they would have shown this to be so and Granger would have already been sworn in? Why the dam holdup, it is dam embarrassing for a country as small as Guyana to not have results of an election one friken month later. 

How can this be the work of the opposition?

This is where I respect you and people like Mars.  Putagees are White people.  You have a sense of equity even though you may not agree with the person on the other side.  You know right and wrong, truth and lies!

What you dealing with is Junjaweed Burnhamites and Crabdwag Cockroach Coolies who pawn their logic for hatred of their own.  I have more respect for Burnhamite Junjaweeds.  I know some here in the US and I understand them though I don't always agree!  The Cockroach Coolies Crabs deserve to be squshed!  They have no redeeming qualities!

Baseman
Last edited by Baseman

Banna, everyone knows I dont want to see PPP win neither but if it is the will of the people, who am I to say otherwise? APNU along with AFC have let down their voters, they do not deserve another term. Guyana needs a proper party, one that is in it for the good of the country and not for themselves nor for one group of people, only then will there be change for the better.

cain
Last edited by cain

Why did the PPP Commissioners on GECOM agree for the most evil, corrupt and incompetent CEO Lowenfield to prepare a recount plan? The plan he will develop will reflect “evil, corruption and fraud”. What international observers be allowed and if so what is their role? CARICOM would “verify” the recount - against whose SOPs and what does “verify” mean? Commissioner Alexander cannot be trusted. He I saw one of the KABAKA boys.

FM

This is all very strange .  People complaining about a "dictatorial" regime but yet trying to impose their demands on GECOM and everything else.  Lowenfield is the CEO.  It is his job to direct the operations of GECOM.  PPP commissioners can't dictate how GECOM does its job.  If Granger was really a dicatator this thing would have been done since March 2.  It is the courts that have caused the delay, all because Granger respects the rule of law.

T
Totaram posted:

This is all very strange .  People complaining about a "dictatorial" regime but yet trying to impose their demands on GECOM and everything else.  Lowenfield is the CEO.  It is his job to direct the operations of GECOM.  PPP commissioners can't dictate how GECOM does its job.  If Granger was really a dicatator this thing would have been done since March 2.  It is the courts that have caused the delay, all because Granger respects the rule of law.

Lowenfield is the CEO.  It is his job to direct the operations of GECOM. 

Yeah right...his job is to allow Mingo to bypass the constitution laws - allow his spread instead of SOPs to count votes and have a Vulva signature declare declare it legal...

sachin_05
Last edited by sachin_05
sachin_05 posted:
Totaram posted:

This is all very strange .  People complaining about a "dictatorial" regime but yet trying to impose their demands on GECOM and everything else.  Lowenfield is the CEO.  It is his job to direct the operations of GECOM.  PPP commissioners can't dictate how GECOM does its job.  If Granger was really a dicatator this thing would have been done since March 2.  It is the courts that have caused the delay, all because Granger respects the rule of law.

Lowenfield is the CEO.  It is his job to direct the operations of GECOM. 

Yeah right...his job is to allow Mingo to bypass the constitution laws - allow his spread instead of SOPs to count votes and have a Vulva signature declare declare it legal...

The bolded part is correct.  The rest of what you wrote I can't decipher.

T
Dondadda posted:

@Totaram

What does the word CEO mean to you?

The abbreviation CEO stands for Chief Elections Officer.  Have you been criticizing the man not knowing what his responsibilities are?

T
Last edited by Totaram

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