Dear Editor,
“IT was a grand day.” So says the GECOM Chair. That I agree with her.   Quiet, peaceful and calm, except for a few hiccups and skirmishes.

GECOM delivered, as it said it would. Kudos to Madam Chair, Commissioners, CEO and all staff for a job well done. We now await the results.  We are confident you will deliver on that, too.

Regards,
Shamshun Mohamed

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

–results must be respected

Dear Editor,
THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), having observed the electoral process at some Polling Stations in parts of Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10, has found it, despite some minor hiccups in a few instances, to be free, fair and transparent. Overall, voters were able to cast their ballots in an atmosphere of peace, while few instances which necessitated the intervention of law enforcement, were timely resolved. The Commission commends the collective efforts of all involved, for ensuring that democracy was safeguarded and prevailed during the electoral process. This is heartening and vital to the promotion of harmony and good relations. As the country awaits the final results, the Commission remains mindful of prevailing anxieties. It fervently hopes that the results will be announced within the shortest possible time, and that it will be respected. The Commission is also mindful of racially-inciting exchanges on social media. Such posts are extremely harmful to the process of building harmony and tolerance, which are crucial during this sensitive period. All are therefore urged to act in a responsible manner, and to be reminded of consequences that can be brought to bear through the Racial Hostility and The Representation of the People Acts. The rejection of hatred and intolerance takes the collective effort of all. The Commission encourages all, especially during this period, to do the best we can to ensure that peace and harmony prevail. A more detailed report will be provided after the completion of the entire process.

Regards,
Ethnic Relations Commission

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

PARLIAMENT (the legislative branch of government) continues to be the nation’s highest decision-making forum. It comprises representatives from each of the 10 administrative regions and those at the national level, in what is referred to as the national top-up list. It is the forum that makes decisions that are national in character, engages in debates and votes and approves the national programme for spending, i.e. , the national budget.

Included in its activities is provision for the establishment of sectoral and ad-hoc committees geared towards addressing issues in a more detailed manner. These hallowed halls are considered sacred. In 1926, when Caribbean labour leaders held their first conference, the Parliament Building was chosen because of its significance and the focus of the labour leaders at that time. It was a time when Caribbean people were agitating for self-determination, which included Caribbean integration, universal adult suffrage, and internal self-government. In holding the meeting there, the leaders were signalling to the colonial political directorate that the masses have within their midst persons capable of sitting in this branch of government and representing their interests.

With voting at that time being the prerogative of the land-owning and educated classes, it meant the majority were excluded from participating in this vital act and in having an input in determining their future. Universal adult suffrage was achieved in Guyana in time for the 1953 elections, and its achievement was at the expense of blood, sweat and tears. A vote is an expression of an individual’s choice of representative, or position on given issues. By virtue of this exercise, one accordingly uses one’s power to approve or disapprove of a policy or person as representative. Voting is a right under our law; thus, when a vote is cast in electing party/representative of choice, it follows that representation will be had and valued.

While the parliament comprises a government and an opposition side, the average person would admit that, in voting for their representative of choice, it does not mean that that representative/ party would ignore any good suggestion/proposal from the other side. There is a general view among Guyanese that the politicians should, and could, work together.

When elections are over, apart from the leaders, the aggrieved and the few diehards who feel things must either go their way or be sent along the proverbial highway, people basically return to a life of normalcy wherein partisan politics is not a lurking/divisive force in their daily activities.

Were one to take a survey in any communal area (work, social event or market), it is not far-fetched to conclude that there would be found cordial interactions among persons who had voted for different political parties. It is this sense of camaraderie that generally informs day-to-day living and allows for nation-building, since it creates potential for positive relations that can lead to the flow of ideas and the nurturing of respect for each other. With this comes realisation that there can be spirited and robust debates, including disagreements, without the compulsion to feel it necessary to be disagreeable. It is not unreasonable of the masses to desire importation/adaptation of constructive deliberations as a norm in Parliament and among elected officials. This, however, does not mean that the principle of accountability which underpins good governance should be ignored. The desire is out of recognition and appreciation that Parliament was never designed to be an arena for bull fighting, scalping, and bitterness.

Parliament is a forum where ideas are expected to surface, spirited debates follow, and decisions taken through votes. Also factored in is that the programme of the government (executive branch) will not only be laid there, but will be examined and critiqued by members of the house and the interested public, and of which the government will act objectively. And given that the constitution allows for any member to bring a bill, motion or question, it also means the opposition is allowed avenues to be proactive in shaping the nation’s agenda.

Yet, the Parliament has not been without its weaknesses and lack of direction for growth, in keeping with societal changes — domestic and foreign.

The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Senior Parliamentary Staff Adviser Sir Michael Davies’s 2005 Report on our parliamentary system may be worthy of examination at this time. Outside of recommendations for development, the report included comparative analysis in the frequency of sittings and opportunities given to the opposition to bring motions and issues to the House during the periods of the PNC and PPP governments. The study found that, rather than improvement shown in these areas, the country was regressing. For this regression to be halted, it requires that both sides of the House bring about the change. It may be important, in this 50th year as an independent nation, to revisit the Davies Report and use it as a catalyst to strengthen our parliamentary democracy and aspiration to become One People, One Nation, with One Destiny.

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

EU observers

MONDAY’S General and Regional Elections took place in a deeply-polarised environment, the  European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Chief, Urmas Paet, s:aid while noting that though the election was ,nil managed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), there were some inconsistencies at the of level polling stations.

“(The] voting process was

well managed and the electors were able to exercise their vote freely,” Paet told journalists during a press conference at the Guyana Marriott on Wednesday In presenting the EU EOM preliminary report on the elections, he note<l that while the process was well managed, there were some procedural safeguards that were not consistently applied.

Ln justifying the EU EOM’s position, Paet pointed out that safeguards put in place by the Elections Commission to pre­ vent double voting by members of the Disciplinary Services, who had voted on February 21, were not consistently ap­ plied during the March 2 Elections. It was contended that the names of voters were not systematically checked to confirm if Joint Services ranks had already voted on February 21.

The EU EOM, however, expressed satisfaction with the tabulation of the votes at the

polling station but noted rooms for improvement While scrutineers from the smaller political parties were few in numbers, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and the People’s 

Progressive  Party/Civic (PPP-C) had agents spread across the country observing the electoral process.

“Counting was conduct­ ed in a transparent manner, but reconciliation procedures were not always followed. In the absence of clear, ·written instructions, the mission noted inconsistencies in the results transmission and tabulation process,” Paet, a Member of the European Parliament, explained. It was observed that a large percentage of the envelopes containing Statements of Polls were not properly sealed, and in some cases were opened by Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) before they were submitted to the Returning Officers.

The Mission’s Chief Observer was also keen on noting that while the election was efficiently managed, limited inclusiveness, transparency and engagement with electoral stakeholders undermined confidence in the Guyana Elections Commission. There was limited access to critical decisions made by GECOM, in addition to little or no access to essential Election data in the lead up to the March 2 General and Regional “Whereas the full list of electors is published, key regulatory instruments and critical electoral data, notably information pertaining to the revision oft he list, are not publicly available,� Paet reported, while explaining that there were often times no systematic publication of decisions made at the level of the seven-member commission. “GECOM’s lack of official communication with the media results in its messaging being essentially left to md1vidual commissioners providing their own, often conflicting accounts of internal deliberations and decisions he said while adding that public confidence in the electoral administration is often weakened by the absence of regular, structured engagement with key electoral stakeholders.

Like the Organisation of American States, Electoral Observation Mission (OAS

EOM), the EU Mission high lighted the challenges faced as a result of the composition of the election commission. The commission consists of three member nominated by the President, three by the leader of the opposition and a chairperson agreeable to both.

“Introduced to assuage discontent ahead of the 1992 elections, this formula has led to strong partisanship, affecting GECOM’s ability to function as a collegiate body. Excessive polarisation result in the chairperson having to act a� tiebreaker on most decisions. Furthermore, the composition of the commission reflects the political spectrum of 1992, leaving out smaller parties the EU Chief Observer reasoned.

Hour later, the commonwealth observer Group led by Rt Hon. Owen Arthur, former Prime Minister of Barbados, made similar observation during a press conference at Cara Lodge, Georgetown. Like t h e O A S , t h e Commonwealth made 

a case for constitutional and legislative reform that would result in a commission that would not be divided along party lines. “A key issue repeatedly raised in our interactions was the urgent need for constitutional and electoral reform to address what stakeholders view as a complex and multi-faceted polarisation of the nation. These divisions are reflected in the composition, structure and operations of GECOM itself· Commonwealth Chief Observer told journalists. He noted that is important for the electoral system to be fully inclusive of different stake­ holders and minority groups. The Commonwealth, European Union and OAS Observation Missions all shed light on the bloated National Register of Registrants Data Base and the Official List of Electors (OLE), with the hope that legislative reforms would lead to a new register and periodic house-to­ house registrations. The OLE used in the just-concluded elections consists of  660,998 electors, which is almost the size of the country’s population.

Arthur, while noting that the decision by GECOM to create a new register had hit a stumbling block in 2019, underscored the need for comprehensive reform of the voter registration system, inclusive of legislative reform. 

The  International Observers haw also bemoaned the fact that an election petition filed in the High Court following the 2015 General and Regional Elections is still pending. 

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

Dear Editor,
I write once again to highlight the poor criteria used for the selection of the Commissioner and their Chief Elections Officer who are totally out of their depth when dealing efficiently with these matters of national importance, and woefully inadequate in their preparation and administration of this exercise. Can you imagine that because the Region 4 Returning officer has been hospitalised that the count stops, and there is no one in place to carry on immediately? Election results should have been tabulated and announced within 24 hours of the elections; any other results is just sheer incompetence and inability. How in God’s name does a judge suddenly assume the skillset which is required for this job? My understanding of “Fit and Proper “ differs sharply.

In the meanwhile, business and the entire country continue to suffer terribly: Stores are closed; people are scared to be out with, both parties declaring their imminent victory, although the results are already known to them, which is sheer and utter mischief. The escalation of tensions and chance of riots are clear and present. Let us hope that after the elections, we can have someone with the logistical and administrative skills required to prepare and deliver us free , fair and efficient elections .

Regards,
Roy Beepat

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

In its preliminary observation of Guyana’s 2020 Guyanal and Regional Electrinos, The Carter Center said that while the electoral process is generally progressing smoothly, there were some noteworthy hiccups along the way. 

The Center held a press conference on ‘Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel to update the media on the post and current elections observation of its 41-member team. Speaking at the press conference were co-chairs of the Mission, Attorney-at-Law, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and grandson of former US President Carter, Jason Carter, and Former Prime Minister of Senegal, Madame Aminata Toure. 

Carter stated that voting day-operations were .. well-managed, GECOM staff at polling places were well trained and exhibited a “remarkable amount of professionalism”. 

MINOR HICCUPS 

While, in general the process went smoothly, the Center noted that there were some reported issues across the country in the post and current electoral process which were noted cause for concern. Though it wa5 stated that GECOM did its best to produce an Official List of Electors (OLE) that was comprehensive, reliable and accurate, Cater noted some discrepancies. 

“The number of registered voters seem disproportionate to Guyana’s estimated population. The Carter Center recommends that before the next election, the government reassess and overhaul both the process and the technology ll500 to create and manage the voter registration database,” Carter stated. 

Regarding preparations for E-Day, Carter noted that the is sue regarding g the re, duction of private residences being used a5 polling places only just a few days before the elections. 

The Center stood by its 2015 recommendations whereby it suggested that GECOM takes special effort to .. ensure that citizens can cast their ballots in a neu­tral environment” but also acknowledged that private residences may not always be avoidable. 

On the matter of the cam­paign environment, the Center noted that parties and candi­dates were able to freely ex­ercise their fundamental rights of freedom of expression, a5sociation and assembly. 

However, there were ob­served or reported cases •·· the Center having attended 31 rallies •·· of low-level harassment, intimidation and the destruction of party par­aphernalia. The Center also noted the use of alleged in­ftan1matory language. 

It noted that Guyana’s absence of campaign-finance law allows for great inequali­ties between political parties, and throughout the campaign there were allegations of the misuse of State resources. 

The Center criticized the Commission for its late re­lease of its Code of Conduct for political parties. 

Though it did not under­take systematic monitoring of the media, it also pointed out that the coverage of the elec­tion in print and online media frequently seemed partisan.” 

It stated that although the GECOM Chair is a woman, women are underrepresented on the Commission. The Center noted, too, that elections results may indicate and increase participation in indigenous areas but Guyana still has a way to go to ensure tl1eir full inclusivity. 

The media was informed that despite some progress to facilitate voting for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), there were no special mea­sures in the 2020 elections. On E-Day, it was observed that there was campaigning and campaign materials with­in 200 yards of polling sta­tions which violates the law. 

Assessing the closing pe­riod, the Center stated that its observers noted the process was positive in 93 per cent of 15 stations observed. How­ever, GECOM staff were less confident in the application of counting procedures. 

NOT ABLE POSITIVES 

The preliminary report of the Center was not all bad . It was highlighted that the advance voting of the disci­plined services went smoothly as well as the intermixing necessary on Elections Day. 

The Carter Center observed tl1at the vast majority of polling-day staff, including Presiding Officers (POs), were women. Women made up 78 per cent of POs and 85 per cent of the staff in polling stations. 

The training of poll­ing-day staff post elections was assessed as positive while police security at polling sta­tions was efficient. The Cen­ter noted the effective check­ing for ink on fingers and the inking of fingers. 

Carter commended the presence of party scrutineers at all polling stations noting that it forms “a good bedrock of transparency”. He encour­aged the continuation of the same. In polling stations observed by the Center, it was highlighted that 84 percent of APNU +AFC scrutineers and 68 per cent of PPP/C scrutineers were women. The performance of political party scrutineers was assessed as 95 per cent of polling stations observed. 

OURADVICE 

The Carter Center did not conclude its preliminary briefing without leaving a few words of advice to the influencers of Guyana’s electoral system. l11e observer body recommended that political leaders commit to reform the “winner-takes-all” elections system currently in use through constitutional refom1 well before the next general election. 

While various voter-in-formation activities were conducted by GECOM close to the election time in partnership with national and international organisations, it pointed out that there is need for “more robust voter education efforts”. 

The Center also recommended clearer constitutional provision for the represention of women in government a5 “there are no gender quotas or other special temporary measures in place”. When it comes to the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans gender and intersex (LGB- TI) community, the Center advised that discriminatory legislation against the community be repealed. The fact that no civil society organisation conducted nationwide non-partisan observation of he elections was pinpointed as a step in the wrong direction by the Center.

ACT RESPONSIBLY

The Carter Center has also called on key stakeholders in valved to act responsibly and urged political parties to act in accordance witl1 the GECOM Code of Conduct recently signed. Toure discouraged political parties from declaring their own results and victory, stating tl1at the process may take some time but: “Only G ECOM has the authority to declare results.” While many Guyanese are  awaiting d1e declaration of resuits, Toure said that political parties and the public must understand that perfection in process is impossible. ·’There is no perfect electoral process or system,” Toure reminded. 

“The system is always improvable. But, of course there is always a give and take between l1a.ving quick results or making sure that the process is completed transparent and people accept the results.” 

Meanwhile, Cartrr reminded that everyone has hr right to challenge the elections results and this should not be considered as a weakness of the electoral system but a sign of its resilience. He said that should there be no need for such he is pleased that based upon the Code of Conduct signed by contesting parties, they have agreed to abide by the  results declared by CECOM.

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) won Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) in both the General and Regional Elections, the District’s Returning Officer, Glendon Fredericks, declared on Wednesday.

In the General Elections, the APNU+AFC secured 4,817 votes while its main opponent – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) raked in 3,720. Unlike other smaller parties– the majority fairly new to the elections– the Justice and Liberty Party (JLP) raked in 879 votes.
In the Regional Elections, the APNU+AFC received a total of 4,836 votes while the PPP/C got 3,692 votes, and JLP, 925 votes.

The results, when compared with that of the 2015 General Elections, show that the two major parties managed to pick up more votes this time around. In 2015, the APNU+AFC had gotten 4,599 votes while the PPP/C had secured 2,981 votes.

Based on results declared by Returning Officers in nine of the 10 administrative regions, the ruling coalition won Regions Seven, Eight and 10, while the PPP/C has won Regions One, Two, Three, Five, Six and Nine. GECOM, on Wednesday, encountered a number of stumbling blocks in its attempt to verify the more than 800 Statements of Polls in Region Four – the process being put on hold at least twice. The verification process must be completed before the Returning Officer makes a declaration of results.

Source:  https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_05_2020

…APNU+AFC gives GECOM deadline to respond to irregularities
….says several lists of migrated voters were sent to electoral body for probe

THE APNU+AFC has stated that the party expects a response from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by today June 5, 2020 on how it will treat with a mountain of alleged irregularities uncovered during the national recount.

At a press conference on Thursday, APNU General Secretary, Joseph Harmon, said that since May 30, the APNU+AFC has dispatched over 11 letters to GECOM detailing the irregularities uncovered by party agents and requesting immediate investigation to verify their claims. “There has been no direct response by the Elections Commission to these letters. We sent another five letters to GECOM on the fraud that is piling up. The commission must, with certainty, make its position known on these issues that put the credibility of over 90,000 votes into question,” he said.

The list of irregularities highlighted by APNU+AFC include: counterfoils and ballots carrying the same number; ballots for one region cast in another; ballots cast for the dead and persons who have migrated; persons voting without proper identification; persons voting outside of their districts without employment documents; large numbers of improperly stamped ballots at locations where disciplined services members voted; missing poll books and documents from one polling station being found in the ballot boxes of another.

Harmon said that he expects that the physical recount process will be completed by Sunday, or early next week the latest, and GECOM needs to act now on the said concerns. He stated: “We will have to get a decision from GECOM on this matter and we are serving notice that we expect a decision by GECOM on these matters by the end of Friday June 5, 2020. They must say to us how they will treat with these matters, it is very important.”

PPP objects

Meanwhile, PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate, Mark Phillips, speaking to the media outside the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) on Thursday, said that Harmon’s pronouncement of a deadline amounts to interfering with the Constitutional rights of GECOM.

“GECOM is a constitutional body and, in the state of things today, at this final phase of the recount, we find it difficult to accept that a political party who contested the elections will want to issue an ultimatum to a constitutional body that enjoys independence from control of government or any other political party of organisation in Guyana,” he said.

He said that his party finds concerning the immigration list of 172 names submitted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as, from the PPP/C’s investigation, many of the said persons were in Guyana on E-Day.

Phillips stated that the GPF should not respond to the “demands” of the APNU+AFC. It was GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh who wrote to the Commissioner of Police on May 22, 2020 requesting the information.

Harmon however, reminded that the recount exercise has four phases which begin with the physical counting of ballots, followed by the preparation of a report by the GECOM Secretariat to the Elections Commission. The commission will then deliberate on the report or any other report such as one coming from the CARICOM scrutinising team, followed lastly by a final declaration from the Chairperson of GECOM. In the letters sent to the commission, the APNU+AFC outlined cases of several persons not listed on the Official List of Electors (OLE) voting at the Corriverton Primary School; over 162 unused ballots unaccounted for at Number 77 Village on the Corentyne and 85 unused ballots missing from ballot box #9068 amongst others.

LIST OF MIGRANTS
Harmon said that the party has submitted several lists of migrated voters to GECOM for investigation and the Immigration Department has confirmed that almost 90 per cent of the said persons were not in the jurisdiction on E-Day. The APNU+AFC has accused the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Opposition of being the masterminds behind the alleged electoral fraud and expects that hundreds more such cases will be unearthed in the remaining boxes.

Contrary, as it relates to the immigration matters, PPP/C has come out with some individual/s who state that they were named on the said list sent to the commission but can verify that they were in the country on E-day. They have also criticised the Immigration Department headed by Police Commissioner, Leslie James, questioning his impartiality.

However, the APNU+AFC maintains that 90 per cent of those on the list were not in the jurisdiction on March 2, 2020.  “As a tactic, the PPP now, they’re attacking the Immigration Department. The Immigration Department is the legal body that monitors movement in and out of the country, but here the PPP, they’re clutching at straws in the wind. That is the official record of the country and they’re trying to impute the character of the officer in charge of the records and the records themselves,” Harmon rebutted.

He accused PPP/C-nominated GECOM Commissioners of forcing a postponement of investigations into the said irregularities. Even so, he pledged that his party will continue to expose such cases and will not let up on its requests of the commission to investigate all irregularities as doing otherwise puts a barrier between Guyanese citizens and credible elections results.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_05_2020

ONE day after it was discovered that some 84 ballots were rejected at a Sophia Nursery School polling station, Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander said the ballots should be counted as valid, in his opinion.

When Ballot Box 4549 was opened, it was revealed that, on March 2, 2020, 184 electors from a list of 256 turned up to vote at Sophia Nursery School at a single Polling Station. But of the 184 ballots cast, only 101 were deemed valid for the General Elections, the other 83 were rejected.

According to the Observation Report, which was generated, of the rejected ballots, 82 were rejected “for want of official mark,” meaning it lacked the official six digit stamp. The other rejected ballot was marked for more than one Party List of Candidates.

For the Regional Elections, there were 182 valid votes cast, and three ballots within Ballot Box 4549, which were deemed rejected – two because of the absence of the official six digit stamp and another because it was marked in favour of more than one List of Candidates.

Weighing in on the issue on Thursday, Alexander, while speaking to reporters outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), said that it is clear they are legitimate ballot papers, explaining that the unstamped or incorrectly stamped ballot correspond with a similar number stamped.

He said from all indication, it was an error on the part of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Secretariat staff. “It is apparent that in that instance, the officer responsible folded the ballot paper horizontally, rather than vertically and did place two stamps, which eventually ended up on one half of the ballot and not on the other half,” the Elections Commissioner explained.

According to the Electoral Laws, unstamped ballots ought to be rejected. However, Alexander believes that if a judgment is made not merely on what the Law says but what it intended, then the ballots would be deemed valid.

While noting that the Elections Commission has not deliberated on that specific issue as yet, Alexander expressed the hope that when the issue arises at the level of the Commission, there is a fair judgment.

“I can hardly see us not admitting those ballots as valid ballots. The Commission, itself, has not yet adjudicated on the matter but this clearly falls within one of the three scenarios that I had earlier articulated and I am looking forward to a sensible, rational and just decision to have those ballots counted,” Alexander told reporters.

According to the Observation Report for the Ballot Box, which was seen by the Guyana Chronicle, 69 of the rejected ballots were marked in favour of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) while 12 were marked in favour of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

“It was noted by the APNU+AFC agent that the rejected ballots for want of official mark, the extra official mark was seen on the Regional Part of the Ballot,” a section of the Observation Report read. The alarming number of rejected ballots for want of an official mark was among issues raised with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by the APNU+AFC.

During her most recent press conference on Monday, GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, said that there were 1,536 rejected ballots for the General Elections based on the five Electoral Districts for which Certificates of District Tabulation have been generated. The rejected ballots for the Regional Elections totaled 1,927. These numbers are likely to increase as more districts are certified.

Ward explained that a ballot is deemed rejected “for want of official mark, which is the stamp, unmarked or void of uncertainty, marked for more than one party List of Candidates, or marked so that the Elector can be identified.”

“Anything within those categories is what constitutes a rejected ballot,” she added.
While Ward was able to provide a breakdown of the ballots rejected thus far based on the five regions certified, she was unable to indicate how many of those ballots were unstamped. There have been cases in which half of the ballot was stamped and the other half unstamped. According to her, the Commission is still deliberating on how it will treat with the ballots that were partially stamped.

“At this point I can’t say where they are at with their discussion,” Ward said while noting that there is a concern that some of the unstamped ballots may be that of members of the Disciplined Services. The Disciplined Services – members of the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force and Guyana Prison Service – voted 10 days ahead of E-Day.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_05_2020

Dear Editor

It was about two weeks ago, that Irfaan Aly, Presidential Candidate of the PPP/C, and Sase Gunraj, one of the PPP/c party’s serving GECOM commissioners, who both then described the emerging electoral anomalies, discrepancies, and irregularities  as ‘’immaterial’’ and ‘’inconsequential”, respectively.

If memory is a guide, these two descriptions were about the first indications that such kinds of  responses would  be forthcoming from  the opposition, who saw nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with a startling, but not surprising  situation that now reveals  in excess of one thousand migrants, absent Guyanese, found to be voting; persons already dead and buried, returning from their eternal rest to cast their ballots; persons being allowed to vote without ID cards, but no accompanying statement of identity; missing official list of electors which should be in each sealed ballot boxes; and  missing counter foils, among the plethora of premeditated electoral acts of fraud.

More disturbing was the fact of close to 300 missing poll books, described as the Bible for each ballot box, as they contain the entire track record of voting for each ballot box. These have been fraudulent acts, ever since suspected and noted to have taken place on March 02, by coalition officials,  but only confirmed with the hard evidence unearthed  since the commencement of the Recount.

The fact of the matter is, these discoveries are increasing, and will be significant as statements of Observations, that  have to be the centre piece for the most critical observation, and deliberation that the GECOM HAS EVER UNDRTAKEN WITH REGARDS ANY NATIONAL ELECTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT DELIBERATIONS PENDING A DECLARATION OF RESULTS IN THIS COUNTRY.  And quite contrary to the false narrative being peddled by a column of pro-opposition media distortionists; paid and hired columnists, letter writers, and despicable elements that have crawled from that woodwork thing, called civil society that it is just  a numerical count –  they must be reminded that the pivot is to examine the question of the credibility of MARCH 02 – OF EVERY BALLOT CAST.

It is very interesting that Ralph Ramkarran, that 720 degrees turnstile who has returned to his traditional political home, blared out in a recent print media report statement that the “end game” of the Recount is a declaration.

Editor, here is a continuation of the deliberate intention of Ramkarran to both deceive, and be dishonest about a process which continues to bring to the nation’s attention, very troubling and serious revelations of what amounts to electoral fraud, provenly committed by the PPP/C in their constituencies; and which by their mounting scale, will have to examine the question of credibility of the March 02 elections.

One does not need to remind the Ramkarrans about what the Gazzetted Order is all about. But this is Ramkarran, dutifully pushing the dishonest PPP/C line of an immediate swearing in, of a perceived PPP/C presidential nominee, irrespective of the big electoral con that has been committed on the nation. In such a statement he is implying, like his other dishonest PPP/C colleagues that such matters should be adjudicated on via an elections petition.

Remember the Ulita Moore challenge, and the frantic scramble by the PPP/C to the Judiciary, to argue that GECOM has the powers to grant a recount instead of a petition? It would seem that Ramkarran et al, DID NOT CATER FOR THE KIND OF RECOUNT, WITH ALL THE ELECTORAL CRIMINALITIES COMING FORTH. THEREFORE, HIS DISINGENIOUS STATEMENT IS ONE  IN THE PROPAGANDIC LINE OF THE  PPP, DESIGNED TO SIDETRACKED, AND TO DOWNPLAY THE HIGH CRIMINAL ACTS, THAT ARE DAILY BEING FOUND IN THE BALLOT BOXES, PARTICULARLY FROM PPP/C STRONGHOLDS.

By such a statement, Ramkarran is making it quite clear that he is not interested in electoral propriety, and that the nature and purpose of the Recount can go to hell. In fact, he never did, if one should trace his track record on the GECOM and the House to House registration.

As such, he is no different to Irfaan Ali and Commissioner Sase Gunraj, in their publicly described descriptions of the discrepancies, irregularities and anamolies, found in the ballot boxes. THEY ARE ALL DEMOCRATIC FAKES; UPHOLDERS OF ELECTORAL FRAUD, FOR HOW CAN THEY SEEK TO INSULT THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE NATION, AGAINST THE BACKGROUND RESULTS OF THE STILL ONGOING PROCESS?

Regards
Earl Hamilton

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_05_2020