THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) bas restated its position that there were proven irregularities observed during the national recount and that the report of the CARICOM Scrutinising Team was a “disappointment.” It reiterated these sentiments in a release on Wednesday, when it said that its previous remarks on the subject were misrepresented by the Stabroek News on July 20, 2020. The GPSU took offence that the newspaper stated that the union was alone in its position on the national recount. However, the release corrected the newspaper that similar views were expressed by other prominent Guyanese. It maintained that the GPSU is a democratic organisation and would not mimic the sentiments of other observers of the national recount, but will state clearly its own. .. The union’s functions are always professional and at no time does it see the need to  parrot’ or •piggy back’ on what is said by others. It may at times draw similar conclusions, but its independence is assured,” the release stated.
….. each party agent signed the observation report for each box as the boxes were examined, so, to say that there were no irregularities is like being the proverbial ostrich – burying your heads in the sand. Putting it bluntly, it is blatant dishonesty. Especially after the Chairperson of GECOM wrote the chief immigration officer and the registrar general, who confirmed that the names of the persons submitted were either out of the country on the date of the election on March 02, 2020, or were deceased.”
The GPSU said that the Stabroek News should not have interjected its position into the union’s previous statements as such actions could only have negative efects. It maintained that the irregularities highlighted during the national recount were televised to the nation and were also featured in tl1e chief elections officer’s (CEOs) report.
What the union didn’t take lightly was CARICOM’s report which it believes is not a complete reflection of what wa uncovered during the recount.
The union stated: .. The GPSU is of the view that based on the absence of major statutory documentation and the fact that there were proven irregularities, the elections were seriously compromised. The report of the CARICOM team was a disappointment, because any student of statistics would know that where there is an occurrence of irregularity, a representative sample ought to be examined before any conclusion is drawn, but if not the weight or effect of the missing documents on the population should be used to determine credibility. The report was however concluded without serious consideration to either of these necessary aspects, except to flippantly trivialise the importance of the missing documentation in relation to the outcome.”
Et also pointed out that the recount exercise exposed a series of irregularities, many of which flowed from a flawed Official List of Electors which consisted of approximately 650,000 electors based on a population of approximately 750,000.
The GPSU called on the press to be professional, responsible and impartial in its reporting and when dealing with matters of such national importance.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_07_23_2020