…GECOM hopes to up tempo today
NOTWITHSTANDING a late start and a number of challenges, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) processed a total of 25 ballot boxes during the first day of the historic National Recount – a process which unfolded at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) under heavy police presence on Wednesday.
In Region One (Barima/Waini), seven ballot boxes were processed while six ballot boxes from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) were counted. In Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), seven ballot boxes were counted while in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), votes from five ballot boxes were processed. There were a total of 10 working stations.
It was anticipated that more ballot boxes would have been processed during the course of Wednesday but the process got off to a late start due to several factors including the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C’s) failure to locate its keys for three of the containers containing ballot boxes.
Long security check line
When Guyana Chronicle arrived at the Conference Centre at around 06:50hrs, there was a long line of GECOM personnel, party agents and observers waiting to access the compound. Only those, listed on a general list provided to the police, were allowed access to the premise but not before a detailed security check. Notably, vehicles attempting to gain access, were thoroughly searched. A sniffer dog was seen checking vehicles for substances such as explosives – a move deemed necessary in light of a bomb threat that was made during the tabulation of the Region 4 Statements of Poll in March. Added to that, strict precautionary measures were put in place to prevent any spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including the testing of body temperatures, sanitisation of hands, and the mandatory wearing of masks.
But the security check and the measures implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were just a small part of the problem. Having completed a briefing session with all parties involved, including observers, the GECOM officials proceeded to the back of the Conference Centre to open the containers, and it was then that the PPP/C realised that it had no keys for three of the containers on which it had placed locks. After some relays, a decision was taken to cut the chains on those containers.
Dysfunctional locks
“I think some of the guardians of democracy had dysfunctional locks, and so we couldn’t open those padlocks that were placed on the containers, so eventually we had to make a decision to nip the chains, so that also contributed to a delay,” Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander told reporters as he offered his assessment of the first day of the recount.
He noted that, despite the initial hiccups, the process went relatively smooth, once the ballot boxes were moved from the containers to the 10 working stations that were established. However, he noted that there were a few errors and anomalies detected including the absence of Poll Books for Region One and the allegations of dead people marked as voted – issues for which the Elections Commission has committed to address.
“I think all in all, we had a relatively good day; a little slow start but a relatively good day,” Alexander said while anticipating that today (Thursday, May 7) the counting process will be accelerated within all 10 working stations.
PPP/C’s Executive Anil Nandlall told persons that generally the process was executed smoothly; but said there were fundamental issues that ought to be addressed by GECOM. He complained that the process, though smooth, was progressing slowly.
“GECOM had given us an indication that once the issues as they arise on the first day are identified and corrected, then the speed will increase rapidly and we are hoping that that will happen,” he said.
Nandlall objects again
However, Nandlall again objected to the scrutiny of the documents within the ballot boxes. According to him, the recount should be numerical, and nothing else. “What is important? Isn’t it the number of votes that each party received; that is what the recount is about. So all these unnecessary issues that they are raising is what are contributing to the delay. We want a recount of the ballots, and that is what the exercise is about,” Nandlall posited.
He is objecting to the analyzing of documents which include the number of electors struck off as voted – marked on the List of Electors; the number of ballots added through the intermixing of the ballots of the Disciplined Forces and those of non-residents, and the number of electors who voted by the use of Certificates of Employment and the number of ballot counterfoils.
But Alexander reminded reporters that the procedures being employed during the record are catered for in the order gazetted by the Elections Commission on Monday, in accordance with Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act.
“It was dragged out for Nandlall, it was not dragged out for the order, which GECOM issued indicating those are things that you will be doing. Mr Nandlall continues the old story of not wanting to go through a process that we have decided that we will go through,” Alexander said.
He reminded that the recount is being executed in keeping with the powers GECOM has under Constitution and the Elections Law (Amendment) Act and not under the Representation of the People Act.
“This is not a Representation of the People Act, Section 89 recount. This is a recount under the Constitution, Article 162, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act, which give us the scope to do what we do, and we are doing it. Mr Nandlall might not like it but we are doing it,” Alexander lamented. He said while GECOM has agreed to a final count (a recount), it has also opted to decide on the credibility of the elections, and as such, all documents within the ballot boxes will be examined before a count is proceeded with.
No stalling
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, who is also an A Partnership for National Unity (APNU+AFC) agent, told reporters that the coalition is in no way stalling the work of GECOM, as he rubbished allegations levied by the PPP/C. He said the process of examining the contents within the ballot boxes is a critical one, noting that it was during that process the APNU+AFC detected a number of anomalies and errors, which are now being addressed by GECOM based on an established system for resolution of issues.
“It is absolutely important [for us to scrutinize the documents]…GECOM has gazetted an order, and we are following it to the letter,” Patterson told Guyana Chronicle, while questioning the PPP/C reluctance to have the contents of the ballot boxes analyzed.
Wednesday’s recount was observed by 91 party agents including those from the major political parties – the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC and a total of 14 observers from the European Union, the Organisation of American States, the Canadian High Commission, the Ethnic Relations Commission, AMCHAM, CUFFY 250 and the Private Sector Commission.
There are more than 2,300 ballot boxes to be processed during a period of 25 days.
However, the Commission has commenced the process with focus on Regions One, Two, Three and Four. The votes cast in the other six regions will be counted upon the completion of the first three regions. Region 4 votes will be counted simultaneously with the other electoral districts.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_05_07_2020