…as GECOM warns against unauthorised pronouncement on election results
Even in the absence of a complete recount process as outlined in the Order, there have been unofficial reports announcing the results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections but the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is warning against such actions – behind the backdrop that it is the only constitutional authority that can declare the results of the elections.
While the National Recount is almost to an end with just 74 ballot boxes left to be processed, the Elections Commission, in a statement on Saturday, reminded that GECOM is the sole constitutional authority mandated to pronounce on the results of the elections.
“In this regard, the Commission is urging political parties, organizations, interest groups and other individuals to desist from pronouncing publicly on the results of the elections,” GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward said.
As the recount winds down, a total of 93 ballot boxes from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) were processed. To date, votes within 2, 265 ballot boxes have been recounted from a total of 2, 339 ballot boxes. Additionally, 2,236 Statements of Recount (SORs) have been tabulated for the General Elections while 2,229 SORs have been tabulated for the Regional Elections.
Notably, all of the boxes from the other nine (9) Electoral Districts – Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two ( Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). In total, votes within 2096 ballot boxes have been recounted.
But while the recount of the votes is near completed the declaration of the results, is not automatic, based on the order.
The amended order outlines the procedure to be employed, once a report of the recount is submitted to the Elections Commission by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield.
The amended order states: “The Commission shall, after deliberating on the report at Paragraph 12, determine whether it should request the Chief Election Officer to use the data compiled in accordance with Paragraph 12 as the basis for the submission of a report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, provided that the Commission shall, no later than three (3) days after receiving the report, make the declaration of the results of the final credible count of the elections held on the 2nd day of March 2020.”
According to Paragraph 12 of the Order, the matrices for the recount of the 10 Electoral Districts must be tabulated by the Chief Elections Officer, and a report submitted to the Elections Commission, together with a summary of the Observation Reports for each District.
In the not so distant past, Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander had explained that, in accordance with the amended order, the Chief Elections Officer is required to submit his Report on the National Recount no later than June 13.
He noted that once the report is deliberated upon by the Elections Commission, it will determine whether the Chief Election Officer should use the data to compile a final report for the declaration of the results.
Commissioner Alexander explained that during the deliberation on the report submitted on the recount, the Elections Commission will confirm or negate whether persons voted in the place of the dead or individuals who were out of the jurisdiction on E-Day, in addition to a number of other anomalies that have surfaced since the commencement of the recount.
But Elections Commissioner Sase Gunraj, in a separate interview, had offered a slightly different explanation, which suggested that the results of the elections ought to be declared three days after the June 13 deadline. “Finally, the Order specifies the time within which a declaration has to be made by the Guyana Elections Commission of the final results of the elections held on the 2nd of March, 2020, and that date is no later than three days from the 13th day of June, 2020,” Gunraj had said.
While Alexander, in his discourse, indicated that the Commission will deliberate on, among other things, the Observation Reports ahead of any declaration, Gunraj has long maintained that GECOM has no such authority.
“GECOM has taken no decision; the Commission has taken absolutely no decision in so far as it relates to treating with any of the issues that have arisen, or may arise during this recount process,” Gunraj contended. To date, more than 1,500 ballot boxes have been processed from a total of 2,339.”
The National Recount, which commenced on May 6, 2020, is being executed under Article
162 of the Constitution, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act under the supervision of the Elections Commission, based on an agreement reached between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo following the intervention of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_06-07-2020