— PM says irregularities uncovered enough to alter credible outcome

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has stated that the irregularities uncovered through the national recount process are enough to alter the credible outcome of the elections. Furthermore, he said that the stage was set for such wrongdoings by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

In his weekly column, My Turn, the prime minister pointed to the list of irregularities highlighted by APNU+AFC such as 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.

“These particulars of fraud are sufficient to materially alter the credible outcome of polling, and to render the 2020 elections as being free but not fair,” he stated.

“The 2020 fiasco was long in planning. Most of the domestic plotters and players are well known. Still emerging is the full profile of the hidden foreign hands with strategic political connections. Their interference in the internal affairs of a small but sovereign state will be eventually exposed.”

The PPP/C contracted Mercury Public Affairs — an American lobbying firm — in March 2019 to help run its elections campaign. The firm was embroiled in the probe into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential elections. However, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo described the move to hire Mercury Public Affairs as “proactive.”

Its services, according to its contract, include but is not limited to representing the party before and arranging meetings with the executive branch and the U.S. Congress, the Organisation of American States (OAS) and think-tanks in connection with issues relating to the elections.

During the subsequent elections, a number of U.S. senators, congressmen and the Department of State maintained pressure on government via tweets and online comments to conduct a transparent recount, although this is in the hands of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

In turn, the APNU+AFC government noted its concerns about the blurred lines between U.S. observation and interference. They have opted to continue their close monitoring of the unfolding.

In his column, Nagamootoo said that the stage for the occurrence of such irregularities being highlighted through the recount was set months ago when the PPP/C vehemently lobbied against the house-to-house registration and therefore for a bloated Official List of Electors (OLE).

Prior to confirmation of the list, commissioners nominated by the government had argued that under no circumstance could Guyana’s population of 750,000-plus persons produce an OLE of over 660,000, considering that the school-age population is around 200,000.

There were also issues regarding the presence of the dead and migrated on the list and, while efforts were made through the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) to remove some of the dead, the court has ruled that residency is not a requirement for voting in Guyana.

The prime minister stated: “It must have been evident that the PPP, not hopeful of a victory at the polls, was doing everything to frustrate compilation of a credible voters list that was based on new house-to-house registration. It resorted to court challenges, one after the other, resulting in the register not being cleansed of the names of all persons who have died or who have migrated. The final list of electors was bloated, and had some 660,000 names in a population of 750,000. That was a recipe for rigging, which the PPP exploited as the evidence is now showing.”

He also said that in the selection of the new GECOM Chair, the PPP/C put forward names that could not be selected due to their lending support to the PPP/C and some of these individuals have proven such by now joining forces with the party as “united opposition to the Coalition.”

The PM said that it is his belief that the recount process being independently managed by the elections commission before the eyes of all, will bring closure to the irregularities highlighted and inevitably lead to a credible outcome of the elections.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

— political parties split on GECOM’s investigative powers

COMMISSIONER of Police, Leslie James, as requested, has provided Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh with the immigration information on a list of individuals whom the APNU+AFC claims could not have voted on E-Day because they were overseas.

Justice Singh had requested this information of the Police Commissioner on May 22, 2020, by way of letter.

“The APNU/AFC is alleging that persons whose names and date of birth appear on the list attached had migrated and could not have exercised their franchise on March 2, 2020. In this regard, I shall be grateful if you will be so kind as to cause the Immigration Department to verify whether these persons were out of the country on March 2, 2020. The respective polling divisions and stations where these persons allegedly voted are also identified on the list. The Commission would wish this matter to be urgently addressed,” the letter stated.

Though now provided, political parties are still divided on whether GECOM has the legal right to conduct such investigations.

APNU+AFC Campaign Manager, Joseph Harmon, has noted that his party has sent 11 letters in the last few days to GECOM pointing out cases of irregularities uncovered during the recount process. On Friday, he made it clear that there is a mountain of alleged cases of electoral fraud and Guyanese demand answers. As of May 31, the party said that it has examined 1,144 ballot boxes finding 4,122 irregularities which amount to 221, 244 votes being affected.

“We cannot sail calmly into the end of the recount while our concerns go unanswered, and a massive fraudulent operation was carried out on the electoral process; an operation which is systemic and pervasive,” he said.

However, in a press release on Sunday evening, the PPP/C said that any information provided by the Commissioner of Police is compromised and would sway in the favour of the Government.

The party maintained: “GECOM has no jurisdiction to hear and determine these matters which can only be addressed by the High Court in an election petition.” Even so, it said that it is not afraid of any investigation or inquiry of any type and is, in fact, ready to participate in any such activity “at the appropriate time and at the right forum”. The PPP/C has requested a meeting with the Chair to ventilate its concerns.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lennox Shuman, also said that, based on the legal advice his party has received, GECOM does not have the powers to undertake such an exercise.

He stated that there is some amount of conflict of interest in the Commission’s reaching out to the Immigration Department as this comes under the Minister of Citizenship who is a member of the APNU+AFC.

Similar to a Letter to the Editor written by PPP/C’s Charles Ramson Jnr., Shuman put forward that a person can leave Guyana via its international airports but re-enter via “back track” through neighbouring countries.

He also stated that the LJP does not have confidence in the ability of the Commissioner of Police or Immigration Department to remain impartial. “They have not given us the confidence that they are going to conduct themselves with integrity,” he said.

Shuman believes that it is concerning that the Commission has opted to launch an investigation into the claims of the APNU+AFC of illegal voting but have failed to address matters regarding the “inflated” results declared by Region Four Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo.

He maintained that any investigation into electoral irregularities must come from an elections petition. He said small parties have jointly requested a meeting with the GECOM Chair since last week but is yet to receive information on when such this will be held.

Apart from this, Shuman said that he is pleased that the recount is moving much smoother and, at this rate, should be completed by June 9, 2020.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

Dear Editor,
Watching the PPP bosses operate is always an interesting thing to behold. While in government, the PPP learnt how to spin corruption and make it look like charitable donations, among other dubious “skills”. At governance, the PPP bosses are complete failures, but when it comes to hiding their crimes, lies, and dishonesty, the PPP bosses could pivot faster than a well-oiled spindle.

The recount and audit of the March 2 elections are well underway, and, based on what is being found by the process, it is clear beyond any doubt that the PPP had attempted to steal political power by rigging those polls from every conceivable angle. They did everything, from ballot-box stuffing to getting dead people to vote; from stealing Coalition votes to getting votes from people who were not even in Guyana on Election Day.

When the fraud started to come out, the PPP bosses claimed that there were a few mishaps. And when the huge scale of the “mishaps” started to become public, the PPP bosses said that it was all “false news” being peddled by the Coalition. Of course, sensible Guyanese have always known that the PPP bosses are ‘full of it’.

Now, we have reached a point at which the “discrepancies” are undeniable, glaring, massive, widespread, and deliberately engineered, beyond any shadow of a doubt. And, so, the PPP bosses have pivoted again, faster than a lubricated hinge; they are now claiming that all of the problems being uncovered were caused by mistakes made by GECOM.

In other words, they are saying that GECOM staff did not notice that dead people were voting, or that invisible citizens were casting ballots. Editor, does the PPP honestly expect intelligent Guyanese to buy their spins? Editor, there were no mishaps; there were no “discrepancies”; there was no false news. Instead, there was one problem and one problem only: PPP fraud. Plain and simple. The PPP bosses and their co-conspirators committed Electoral Fraud.
Regards,
Mark DaCosta.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

Dear Madam,
I have been following the recount of the votes cast at the General and Regional Elections, and my concern is with the status of votes cast by the Disciplined Services. It has been noted that in certain regions, the ballot papers have not been stamped.
From all indications, it appears as though this was a deliberate act carried out by the opposition PPP to rig the elections in their favour.

I know that this issue of the unstamped ballots is causing serious concerns among the serving members of the Disciplined Services. It has been noted that traditionally, the majority of the members of the Disciplined Services vote for the present Government. It is only because that they are currently serving members in the military that they cannot make their voices heard.

The issue of the unstamped votes of the Disciplined Services occurred in regions where the PPP is usually well supported. If this had happened in one Region, questions may have been asked, but it occurred throughout, therefore it was clear that it was a planned operation to rob the government of votes.

Madam Chairperson, I would like to urge you to ensure that all the votes cast by the Disciplined Services be counted in each and every region. The Opposition must not be allowed to disenfranchise our dedicated servicemen and women.

Regards,
Retired Sergeant, Walter Thomas,
GDF Veteran

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU) has flayed Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas for implying that he knew for which party representatives of the elections commission have voted, presumably because of their race.

In a letter to the media, the party spotlighted the remarks of Jonas on May 30, 2020 during a briefing to the press outside the Arthur Chung Conference e (ACCC). There, Jonas stated: “Now I have no confidence in the secretariat. We know who their members are. CEO is Lowenfield, next one down is Roxanne Myers, the next one down is Hetsberger. I don’t know these people personally, I have seen their actions, I have seen their conduct. I think we can all agree that none of them voted PPP.”

The APNU+AFC outlined that the “aspirant” leader made the pronouncements even though he admitted that he has no personal knowledge or relation to the individuals. The party said that although he accused them of “actions,” he failed to pinpoint what these actions were.

As such, it concluded: “The only common factor between Lowenfield, Myers and Hetsberger is race, pure and simple. This is not the first time that Jonas has referred to the African Guyanese as capable of voting only in a particular manner.”

Furthermore, the APNU+AFC said that it is disturbing that Jonas has stated that he has lost confidence in GECOM as his position seems to hinge only on the basis of the race of the members of the secretariat. The party then listed several points which it said have been revealed through Jonas’ statements as: “1) Race is the basis upon which he determines whether he has confidence in an institution. 2) that despite how a person may be perceived to vote they are unable to discharge their professional duties as a member of the GECOM secretariat. 3) if he has lost confidence in the GECOM secretariat, why bother to wait for the results of the recount as you have already determined that it is incapable of producing credible results. 4) the fact that they did not vote PPP is a matter which is ‘worrying’ to him and presumably ANUG and 5) that not voting for the PPP as a member of the secretariat is a matter of national concern.”

In frank terms, the APNU+AFC has stated that it is unsure of what constituency Jonas hopes to speak for, but “it is clear that he has a major problem with the African Guyanese citizenry.”

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), in calling out the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for what it described as a blatant attempt to deliberately distort the truth, maintained that 25 extra ballots were found in a Ballot Box from District Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) – an anomaly that cannot be ignored.

In a statement on Saturday, APNU+AFC Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon, in highlighting a plethora of irregularities, pointed to Ballot Box 7079, in which there were 352 Ballots issued on Elections Day but when the box was opened for the recount, 377 ballots were discovered. Hours later, the PPP/C issued a statement, contending that there were only 277 in the Ballot Box, which originated from Phillipai Primary School.

But APNU+AFC, in rebuffing the PPP/C, said the Opposition was being disingenuous about the situation.

“The same ballot box checklist for Phillipai Primary School Box 7079 which sets out the contents of Box, recorded PE6 -Total Ballot Counterfoils (ordinary) 227 and PE 4 Total Ballots unused (ordinary) 150 resulting in a total of 377 ballots in Box 7079. The first observation report from GECOM on Box 7079 contained the observation that “25 ordinary ballots were subsequently issued.” This was corrected in a second observation report, which stated “three hundred and fifty-two (352) ordinary ballots were issued but twenty five EXTRA were found in the ballot box,’” the APNU+AFC explained in a statement late Saturday night.

According to the APNU+AFC, the correction was made as no evidence was found for the legitimate issuance of the additional 25 ballots to the polling station.

“It is important to note that this correction was signed by all the contesting agents. Both Observation reports were signed by PPP/C Agent Gomati Kalicharran,” the ruling coalition noted.

It reminded that the authorized procedure by GECOM for the lawful issuance of additional ballots mandates that a record must be made in the Poll Book but no such entry was made or found in the Poll Book.

“The GECOM ballot box checklist and observation report for box 7079 confirm the statement made by Mr. Harmon. The obvious question is by what “credible” means did twenty five extra ballots get into ballot box 7079,” it said. To support its case, the APNU+AFC provided copies of ballot box check list, in addition to the firs and second observation reports.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

…Coalition alleged in updated data as recount continues

An updated version of the APNU+AFC’s monitoring of irregularities unearthed during the recount process claims that a total of 4,122 numerical irregularities were found to date which have affected 221,244 votes.

The update, presented on Sunday, comes though the party’s examination of 1,144 ballot boxes since the recount began.

A summary of the information provided claims that votes affected by missing poll books are as follows: 2,553 – Region One; 15,897 – Region Two; 3,256 – Region Three; 41, 874 – Region Four; 3,207 – Region Five; 2,090 – Region Six and 303 – Region Seven, amounting to 69,182 votes.

Meanwhile, votes affected by missing Official List of Electors (OLE) are as follows: Region One – 193; Region Two – 156; Region Four – 766 and Region Five – 20 arriving at a total of 1,135.

“The poll book and the Official List of Electors are legal documents that validate the votes cast and all other activities at a given polling station. Missing poll books prevent the validation of votes cast at polling stations. Missing OLEs prevent the confirmation of the number of persons who actually voted at a polling station. The absence of poll books and the Official List of Electors facilitates electoral fraud by the PPP,” the APNU+AFC stated. 

The party also claims that a total of 61,690 votes were affected by a variance in what was ticked by GECOM officials on OLEs. These can be broken down as Region One- 3,217; Region Two – 616; Region Three- 15,309; Region Four – 27, 429; Region Five – 9,453; Region Six – 3,553; Region Seven – 2,113; Region Eight – 549; Region Nine – 300 and Region Ten – 61,690.

Meanwhile, in total, the APNU+AFC highlighted 362 missing Certificates of Employment; 41 persons who voted in the place of dead persons; 1,999 persons who voted in the place of migrants; 217 persons who had no identification but voted without an Oath of Identity; 670 missing Oath of Identities; 715 unverifiable oaths due to missing poll books; 118 unstamped ballots; 342 missing poll books and 9 missing OLEs. Together they amount to 4,122 alleged numerical irregularities and what the party states are 221,244 votes affected.

“Given the clear intent of the PPP to commit voter fraud, the coalition will not accept any ballot without the required legal document to validate all votes,” the party stated. It has written the Elections Commission 11 letters on the matter and awaits the outcome of at least one investigation that has been launched into its claims of migrant voters.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

BREAKING its previous records once again, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) processed a total of 100 ballot boxes on Sunday, Day 26, of the national recount. This brings the number of boxes left to be counted to 600.

According to GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, of the 100 boxes processed on Sunday, 41 were from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 34 were from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 10 from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 15 from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Meanwhile, providing an update on the contentious ballots of Region Four, Commissioner Sase Gunraj said that ballot boxes belonging to the East Bank and South Georgetown are completed while North Georgetown is in progress. He said that Sunday also saw the certification of Region Three and two boxes remaining to be counted in Region Nine. All of the ballots belonging to Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8 have been completed.

At the completion of each ballot box at the level of the workstations, a Statement of Recount (SOR) is generated, and, according to Ward, 1,684 SORs for General Elections have been tabulated within the Tabulation Centre and 1,684 SORs for the Regional Elections have been tabulated.

The order for the ongoing national recount has been amended with the new deadline for the completion of the process being June 13, 2020. According to the amended order, the results of the recount will be declared within three days after the process is completed.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_06_01_2020

Dear Editor,
FIRST and foremost, we congratulate the Guyanese people on their patience with what is a frustrating process for all. Guyana is a beautiful country with wonderful, hospitable people and deserves the prosperous future for all that is awaiting her. However, there is a path, if pursued, that could exacerbate divisions and lead to even greater income disparity and unhappiness.

The CPSO sees the current impasse over the Elections as an opportunity for Guyana to recognise and choose a fair, inclusive, and righteous path forward. The CPSO is a non-political organisation and takes no sides in the outcome of the elections. We wish to express our concern for, yet confidence in the democracy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The strength of all democracies lies in the hands of the institutions and leaders who guide and protect them.

There has clearly been a breakdown in the election process and systems in Guyana and the current dispute should serve to increase our resolve to strengthen the governance and operations of the Guyana Elections Commission to ensure that never again would an election in Guyana be enveloped in such dispute over the validity of the results. The ruling party APNU+AFC has declared victory based on a June 23 report issued by the Chief Elections Officer which showed 171,825 of the votes deemed valid for the ruling party and 166,343 of the votes deemed valid for the opposition PPP/C party. However, over 115,000 votes were deemed invalid, which if counted would show the opposite result as reported by independent observers.

The current conundrum is set up for rejection and invalidation of any result that eventually prevails. How can this deadlock be broken? In any election, parties compete on the basis that the outcome must be accepted as the will of the people. While each side accuses the other of trying to manipulate the result, ultimately it is the will of the people that confers legitimacy on any winner to lead the country. Since the electoral process in Guyana has clearly demonstrated its vulnerability to interference, the CPSO believes it is vitally important to the legitimacy of any declared winner and for the sake of the people and the economic future of Guyana, for the courts to rule on the recount of votes (including the issue concerning the validity or invalidity of the disputed votes).
A failure to lawfully and definitively resolve this issue will leave some 50 per cent of the people in Guyana certain that the elections were stolen by one party or the other. Guyana is a founding member of the CARICOM and hosts its Secretariat Headquarters. Both parties agreed to rely on CARICOM Observers to monitor the conduct of the elections process as well as the recount of votes cast. Given the current impasse and the necessity for Guyana’s 2020 elections to have legitimacy, it is appropriate that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) be used as the final arbiter in this matter.

The CPSO appeals to the leaders of both parties to have recourse to the Court of Appeal or the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), if the latter finds that it has jurisdiction to hear and determine the issue concerning the validity or invalidity of the disputed votes. This moment of great uncertainty could potentially exacerbate divisions in Guyana. However, the moment can be seized instead to bring Guyana together responsibly and to take action on building stronger governing institutions. We have faith and confidence that the leaders of both the ruling party and the opposition recognise the need for their leadership to be validated by the voice of the people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; and that must be ruled upon by an independent and trustworthy institution.

ABOUT THE CPSO: Acting in accordance with Article 22 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), the Heads of Government, at the Fortieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July 2019, designated the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) an Associate Institution of CARICOM. The CPSO is to act as the “apex” institution for the private sector in CARICOM, with a mandate to contribute to the full implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). The Membership of the CPSO is comprised of private sector entities operating in the CARICOM space, including Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

Regards.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_7-1-2020

The People’s Progressive party Civle (PPP/C), on Tuesday, filed private criminal charges against Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield,for alleged fraud, based on his Elections Report submitted on June,23.

Filed by General Secretary of the new movement (TNM), Daniel Josh Kanhai and PPP/C activist the charge accuses lowenfield of committing conspiracy to Commit a Felony “Conspiracy contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act”.

Particulars of the alleged offence states that ‘”the accused between the 5th day of March and 23rd day of June2020 ,at Georgetown, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, County of Demerara, State of Guyana conspired with person(s) unknown to commit the common law offence of fraud, to with by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission, that tables attached to his Election report dated 23rd June,2020 accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the results of the said election with intent to defraud knowing the said tabulation to be false.

Utilising valid votes, as ordered by the Court of Appeal, Lowenfield, last week Tuesday, had submitted his Election Report, which reflected a total of 344,508 valid votes being cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections. The Report came brought months about by after several delays brought about by several court cases and a National recount.

Lowenfield, in his report, noted that in coming to the numbers he took guidance of the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the Eslyn David v Chief Elections officer, whereby it was ordered that the words more votes are cast be interpreted to mean more valid votes are cast in relation to the General and Regional Elections According to the CEO report of the 344, 508 valid votes the APNU+AFC secured the 171,825 AP valid NU+AFC votes while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) raked in 166, 343 valid votes.

This was votes. in contrast to the National Recount Report Lowenfield had submitted to the Elections Commission on June 13, whereby the Statements of Recount (SORs), showed that the PPP/C while secured 233,336 votes, while APNU+AFC raked in 217,920 votes. However in the Election report the CEO was keen on pointing out to the Elections Commission that thousands of votes were compromised as a result of widespread irregularities, and alleged cases of electoral fraud. 

The declarations of the elections have since been stayed by the Caribbean Court of Justice pending its decision on whether or not the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to interpret Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution to mean “more valid votes are cast”. 

The appeal was filed by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo and its Presidential Candidate, lrfaan Ali.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_7-1-2020