-48 on Day 4
A TOTAL of 156 ballot boxes have been counted to date as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) supervised National Recount enters its fifth day.
On Day 4, a total of 48 ballot boxes from Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) were processed, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward disclosed.
In updating the press on the recount exercise on Saturday, on the outskirts of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Ward detailed that of the 48 ballot boxes completed on Saturday – Day 4 – 14 were from Region One, 11 from Region Two, 12 from Region Three and another 11 from Region 4.
On Day One of the Recount, 25 ballot boxes were counted; on Day 2 another 40 and on Day 3– 43 while on Day 48.
There is a total of 2,339 ballot boxes, and with 156 ballot boxes completed, it means that 2,183 ballot boxes are left to be processed. The Elections Commission, in the Gazetted Order, had indicated that the National Recount would span for a period of 25 days but the duration is subject to review. According to Ward, the timeframe will come up for review next week.
“As we progress, the Commission will probably have to revisit that timeline, and whatever strategy it will come up, with based on its deliberations, will inform how we move forward,” the GECOM PRO noted.
Ward noted that many of the teething problems experienced during the first two days of the recount, which commenced on Wednesday, May 6, have been resolved and the pace at which the ballot boxes are being processed is increasing. However, she was keen on noting that the amount of ballots within a ballot box, and the discrepancies or queries by party agents are among factors that could affect the duration of the counting process within the 10 workstations established at the Conference Centre – the site for the National Recount.
The Elections Commission Public Relations Officer also noted that the tabulation process is progressing smoothly. Chair of the Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh and her Commissioners had taken a decision to have the tabulation process conducted on a daily basis.
“Of the total 156 boxes that we have completed as of today, they were able to complete tabulation for the General Elections – 129 of those Statements of Recount; and for the Regional Elections – 115 of those Statements of Recount,” Ward disclosed.
She noted that, on a daily basis, the Elections Commission has been meeting at the Conference Centre to resolve issues brought to its attention by representatives of the various political parties that contested the General and Regional Elections.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in a verbal request, had asked the Elections Commission to furnish it with a list of issues and resolutions but a decision on that request is pending.
“The decisions of the Commission are what guides this process, not the decision of any political party, the decisions of the Commission. And so while political parties would have requested such a document in writing, the Commission’s decision is that, that information, whatever decisions are made, are to be filtered to the technical staff of the Secretariat and further transmitted to the workstation staff for implementation. That’s a decision of the Commission, so whether requests by parties to have a written document, the decision of the commission is what guides this process,” Ward explained.
In addition to the request made by the PPP/C, a number of the smaller parties, including the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Citizenship Initiative and The New Movement (TNM) have written the Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh requesting a meeting of the Commission.
TNM Representative, Joshua Kanhai, told reporters that it is the intention of the small parties to raise four important issues, if the meeting with the Elections Commission is granted. Those issues include – a variance in instruction given to various counting stations; the streamlining of the counting process to meet a timely conclusion; clarification on the contents and information that are encompassed in a recount versus an election petition and the slothfulness of the tabulation process.
Notwithstanding these concerns, Kanhai concurred that the counting of the votes within the ballot boxes is progressing smoother than it did when the National Recount commenced on May 6. The recount is being observed by the parties that contested the General and Regional Elections, in addition to local and international observers, including the Organisation for American States (OAS), the Canadian High Commission, the CARICOM Scrutinizing Team, the Private Sector Commission and CUFFY 250 among others. Notably, there are strict security and COVID-19 measures in place.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_10_05_2020