… Chief Elections Officer fells Commission that polls lack, credibility
… savs fraud recorded in all 10 districts
… cites close la 5,000 cases at voter impersonation, aver 2,000 anomalies
… more than 200, 000 votes impacted
By Svetlana Marshall
TILE 2020 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility, according to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfeld, who, in bis Report on the National Recount, pointed to 4,864 casts of voter impersonation, and more than 2,000 anomalies that have impacted well over 200,000 votes across the 10 !Electoral Districts.
The Chief Elections Officer submitted his Report on the National Recount to Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and the six Elections Commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Sase Gunraj, Desmond Trotman, Robeson Benn, Charles Corbin and Bibi Shadick- on Saturday. The Report comprises a tabulation of the votes that were recounted during a period of 34 days (May 6-June 8), and a Summary of Observation Reports for each of the IO Electoral Districts.
In each of the Observation Reports, Lowenfield established that due to the anomalies and instances of voter impersonation, the General and Regional Elections held on March 2 did not satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness and compliance with the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. “Consequently, on the basis of the votes counted and the information furnished from the recount, it cannot be ascertained that the results in this District meet the standard of fair and credible elections,” the Chief Elections Officer said in his Observation Report for District One (Barima-Waini), a position he iterated for all of the other Electoral Districts.
According to the CEO’s Report, there were 143 instances in which Certificates of Employment were missing, 1,278 missing Oaths of Identity and 150 cases in which extra ballots were found in ballot boxes, and other instances of missing Poll Books and Proxies. Notably, in District Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 47 ballot boxes were void of the statutorily required documents. These anomalies, the Chief Elections Officer said, are breaches of polling procedures outlined in the Representation of the People Act, and the official manual for Presiding Officers and other Polling Day Officials.
Across the IO Electoral Districts, there were 4,864 cases of voter impersonation, in which persons voted in the place of the deceased, or electorates who were out of the jurisdiction on Elections Day.
These 4,864 casts of voter impersonation, which were unearthed by the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+A FC), were confirmed by the Elections Secretariat, based on official reports submitted by Chief Immigration Officer, Leslie .lames and the General Registrar’s Office: (GRO).
REGION ONE
In his Observation Report on Region One, Loweulfield pointed out that the Electoral District has a voting population of 18,952 electors, which represents two (2) geographical constituency seats of the National Assembly. A total of 99 Ballot Boxes were processed during the National Recount, resulting in a total of 12,111 and 12,060 votes tabulated for the contesting parties in the General and Regional Elections, respectively. For every ballot box processed in the Electoral District, an Observation Report was generated, based on irregularities, missing statutory documents, and allegations of voter impersonation.
Overall, there were 36 missing Certificates of Employment, and 16 missing Oaths of identity. Oaths of Identity are required by the statutes for electors voting without ID Cards. Additionally, there were 12 cases in which, extra ballot papers were found in ballot boxes without the requisite documentation.
“Recorded in the Observation Reports were allegations made by a contesting party that there were 29 instances of voter impersonation. The party alleged that based on tl1eir investigations in this region, there were 10 instances where deceased persons appeared to have voted, and 19 instances where electors who are alleged to be out of the jurisdiction were recorded as having voted,” Lowenfieldl stated in his report to the Elections Commission, while noting that based on tl1e Reports from the Chief Immigration Officer and General Registrar’s Office, claims have been substantiated.
Of the 99 Ballot Boxes, Lowenfield said approximately 33 stand affected, due to a total of 93 abnormalities, anomalies, and alleged voter impersonation.
“In other words, approximately 35% of all votes cast for the general elections are associated with boxes that stand to be impacted, due to either anomalies or voter impersonation,” Lowenfield said. “Specifically, 20% of the votes cast are impacted by anomalies, while 13% were impacted by voter impersonation, and 2% by both anomalies/irregularities and voter impersonation,” he explained.
Added to that, he said that at the end of the recount of votes for District One, 16 Poll Books could not be found, while there were 52 instances where the evidence of polling activities was not recorded in the available Poll Books.
“In addition, the actual Certificates of Employment (Forni 4) in 36 cases, and sixteen ( 16) missing Oaths of identity (Forni 19) were not available to support entries in the Poll Books. As a consequence, it cannot be reconciled that electors who cast ballots in these cases met the statutory requirements,” he noted. Notably, two ballots were rejected for want of an official mark (unstamped ballots).
Based on his estimation, there is a potential that 2,407 votes in 23 ballot boxes stand affected by anomalies and or irregularities. These anomalies, he posited, impact 19.2% o(the votes cast (or APNU+AFC; 28.2% of the votes cast for the Liberty and Justice Party (UP); 19.9% of the votes for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C); 20.8% of the votes cast for the People’s Republic Party (PRP); and 33.3% of the votes cast for the United Republican Party (URP).
Added to that, 1,593 votes in nine ballot boxes have been directly impacted by allegations of voter impersonation. “Given the fact that it cannot be ascertained who perpetrated the acts of voter impersonation,” the CEO said, “evidence points to its impact on each List of Candidates. Of the nine (9) ballot boxes, 16.1% of the votes cast for the APNU+AFC; 16.5% of the votes cast for tl1e UP; 11. 7% of the votes for PPP/C; 8.3% of votes cast for PRP; and 16.7% of votes cast for URP are impacted,” he told the Elections Commission.
He reasoned that if the ballot boxes that are affected by the anomalies and voter impersonation are extracted from the process, the total will be 7,917 votes cast, with a distribution of 2,506 for APNU+AFC; 93 for LJP 5,298 for PPP/C; 17 for PRP; and three (3) for URP.
Based on the wide-ranging cases of irregularities and electoral fraud that occurred in the district, the Chief Elections Officer said it cannot be ascertained that the results meet the standard of fair and credible elections.
REGION TWO
In Region Two (Pomerooo/Supenaam) the anomalies were no different. Thirty-seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-nine (37,979) electors were listed on the Official List of Electors, with a total of 135 Ballots Boxes, all of which were processed during the National Recount.
While there were no reported cases of missing Certificates of Employment in this Electoral District, there were 35 instances in which the Oaths of Identity were missing. Additionally, there were 303 alleged cares of voter impersonation.
“The Party {APNU+AFC) alleged that based on their investigations in this Region, there were twelve (12) instances where deceased persons appeared to have voted, and two hundred and ninety-one (291) instances where electors who are alleged to be out of the jurisdiction were recorded as having voted,’· Lowenfield reponed, while adding that Reports from the Chief Immigration Officer and the General Registrar’s Office confirmed that the allegations had merit.
He pointed out that 86 ballot boxes from the District stand affected, due to a total of 338 anomalies and alleged voter impersonation.
“Potentially, 745 votes in three (3) ballot boxes stand impacted by anomalies/irregularities, which is approximately 3% of all votes cast for the List of Candidates in District Two,” he stated, while noting that when the allegations of voter impersonation are taken into account, some 14,715 votes in 66 ballot boxes are impacted.
“Against that backdrop, if the ballot boxes that arc affected by the anomalies/ irregularities and voter impersonation are extracted from the process, the total will be 6,708 vote’s cast, with a distribution of 35 for ANUG; 2,787 for APNU+AFC; 48 for CC; 62 for L.IP; 3,737 for PPP/C; 22 for PRP; three (3) for TCI; and 14 for URP be submitted, while making it clear that based on the summation of anomalies and instances of voter impersonation identified in the District, credibility could not be established.
REGION THREE
Similarly, in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) the Chief Elections Officer indicated that the elections were compromised due to a mountain of irregularities and alleged cases of electoral fraud.
With a voting population of 100,758, as recorded on Official List of Electors (OLE), the Region had a total of 355 Ballot Boxes, for each of which Observation Reports were generated. Based on those reports, the CEO reported that there were two Certificates of Employment missing, in addition to 48 Oaths of identity, it therefore means that 50 persons voted without tl1e requisite documents. Additionally, there were 11 instances where extra ballot papers were found or missing from ballot boxes without the requisite documentation. There were also three (3) instances where evidence to validate the usage of Appointment of Proxy were missing.
Notably, there were 977 instances of voter in1personation, in which six (6) persons voted in the place of the dead, and 971 instances in which unscrupulous people are alleged to have voted for Guyanese who were listed on the OLE, but were out of the jurisdiction on Elections Day.
According to the CEO, approximately 212 ballot boxes stand affected by a total of 1,041 anomalies, and alleged voter impersonation. “Potentially, 2,517 volts in twelve (12) ballot boxes stand to be impacted by anomalies and irregularities, which is approximately 4 % of all volts cast for the List of Candidates in District Three. These anomalies and irregularities impact 4.3% of votes cast for ANUG; 5°/., of votes cast for APNU+AFC; 3.4% of votes cast for CG; 2. 7% of votes for PPP/C; 2.9% of votes cast (or PRP; 2.6’/ of (votes cast (or TCl; 5.4% o( votes cast for Tm1; and 2.3% of ,vote cast for lJRP,” the CEO submitted.
When the casts of voter impersonation art taken into consideration, some 44,225 votes in 190 ballot boxes are impacted, resenting 61% per cent of all the votes cast in District Three.
REGION FOUR
In District Four (Demerara-Mahaica), there were a total of 285,6 I 7 electors listed on the Official List of Electors.
In total, 1here were 879 ballots boxes, and based on !he recount exercise, 1here were 202,077 and 201,575 votes cast in the General and Regional Elections respectively in the country’s largest electoral block.
Based on the 879 Observation Reports generated, there were 18 instances where evidence to validate the usage of Certificates of Employment were missing; 56 instances where Oaths of Identity were missing; 82 instances where extra ballot papers were found in, or missing from, ballot boxes, without the requisite documentation; and 47 instances where the statutory documents required to reconcile ballots cast al lbt respective polling stations were missing.
The statutory documents at reference included: The marked Lists of Electors, folios, counterfoils, unused ordinary and tendered ballots, spoiled and rejected ballot papers and poll books.
“The Commission intended 10 reconcile the ballots cast for the List of Candidates with statutory documents contained in each ballot box as expressed in Order 60 of 2020. However, during the recount exercise, an unusual pattern of missing statutory documents was discovered in forty-seven (47) ballot boxes from Polling Stations in Sub-District East Coast Demerara. The absence of those key statutory documents rendered the required reconciliation of I I,566 votes allocated to the nine (9) List of Candidates impossible, and consequently void of accuracy,” the Chief Elections Officer explained in his report 10 the Elections Commission.
He was keen on noting that the missing documents were not contained in the Retuning Officer’s package dispatched to the Returning Officer’s office. He noted, too, that when the poll bags were checked, the documents were nowhere 10 be seen.
Outside of those anomalies, there were 1,706 alleged cases ofvo1er impersonation tied to electoral fraud. Of these cases, 16 involved instances in which deceased persons appeared to have voted, and 1,690 instances in which persons who were out of the jurisdiction on March 2 were recorded as having voted.
“Potentially, 14,510 votes in fifty-nine (59) ballot boxes stand 10 be impacted by anomalies /irregularities; this represents 7% of all votes cast for List of Candidates in District Four,” the CEO repor1ed, while noting that when the allegation of voter impersonation is taken into consideration, the affected volts jump 10 79, I 37.
REGION FIVE
Meanwhile, in District Five (Mahaica-Berbice), ii was discovered that that one Certificate of Employment was missing when a total or 158 ballot boxes were processed during the recount.
However, there were 60 cases of missing Oaths of identity, and six (6) cares in which extra ballot papers were detected, and other cases of missing Poll Books. Further to that, there were 406 alleged cases of voter impersonation, in which there were seven (7) reported instances in which persons voted for the dead, and 399 caes of persons voting in the place of electors who were out of the jurisdiction.
Based on the CEO’s assessment, 1,088 votes in five (5) ballot boxes stand 10 be impacted by the anomalies cited, and another 14,035 votes. if the allegations of voter impersonation are considered.
“Given the fact that it cannot be ascertained who perpetrated the acts of voter impersonation, evidence points to its impact on each List of Candidates.
Of the fifty-seven (57) ballot boxes, 31.5% of votes cast for ANUG; 27.4% of votes cast for APNU+AFC; 51% of votes cast for CG; 54.2% of voles for PPP/C; 40.4% of votes cast for PRP; 45.5% of votes cast for TCI; 40″/o or voles cast for TNM; and 63.2% of votes cast for URP are impacted,” the CEO reasoned.
REGION SIX
Over in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), there were five (5) recorded cases or missing Certificates of Employment; 43 instances of missing Oaths of Identity; 13 casts in which extra ballot papers were found or missing from ballot boxes; and 35 casts where electors appeared to have voted, but were not listed on the OLE.
In Region Six, there were I 128 cases of voter impersonation, of which seven (7) were as a result of “ghost voters”, and I, 121 were as a result of individuals allegedly voting for people who were out of the jurisdiction.
“Potentially, 637 votes in five (5) ballo1 boxes stand to be impacted by anomalies/irregularities; this represents I% of all votes cat for List of Candidates in District Six. These anomalies/irregularities impact 0.6% ofvo1es cast for ANUG; 2.5% of votes cast for APNU+AFC; 1.5% of votes cast for CG; 0.3% of votes for PPP/C; 1.2% of votes cast for PRP; and 2.3% of votes caI for URP, with no impact on the votes cast for TCI and TNM,” the CEO reported.
Additionally, a total of 47,625 votes in 259 ballot hons were impacted by allegations or voter impersonation, or 74% per cent of all the votes cast in District Six.
REGION SEVEN
In District Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), the CEO, based on the 82 Observation Reports generated during the recount, cited 34 casts in which the Certificates of Employment were missing; 390 casts in which Oaths of identity were missing, and another 84 cases in which extra ballot papers were discovered without the requisite documents.
Further 10 that, there were 32 alleged caes of voter impersonation. “In District Seven, two (2) Poll Books were recorded as missing, and four hundred and seventy-six ( 4 76) instances where the evidence of polling activities was not recorded in 1he available poll books. Specifically, thirty-four (34) Certificates of Employment (Form 4) and three hundred and ninety (390) Oaths of identify (Form 19) were 001 available 10 support entries in the poll books. As a consequence, it could not be reconciled that electors who cast ballots in these cases met the statutory requirements,” Lowenfield further detailed, while also citing cases of unstamped ballots that were rejected.
He believes that a total of 3,805 votes in 31 ballot boxes stand impac1ed by anomalies detected. However, 227 votes have been impacted, due to alleged voter impersonation.
“Finally, the summation of anomalies and instances of voter impersonation identified UJ District Seven clearly does not appear 10 satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness, and compliance with provisions of the Constitution, and the ROPA Cap 1:03.
Consequently, on the basis of the voles counted, and the information furnished from the recount, ii cannot be ascertained that the results for District Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) meet the standard of fair and credible elections,” the Chief Elections Officer told the Commission.
REGION EIGHT
lo Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), there is a voter population of 7,431, however, according to the votes recounted, 5,00-0 electors voted, and of that amount, well over IOOO votes have been affected as a result of irregularities, and or voter impersonation.
According to the CEO, 1,127 votes in 12 ballot boxes stand the risk of being affected due to a range of anomalies, from missing Certificates of Employment (21 ); 10 missing Oaths of identify ( 182); and eight cases of extra ballot papers.
He noted 1ha1 another 533 votes in six ballot boxes were impacted by allegations of voter impersonation (52), or 11% of all the votes cast in District Eight. “Although it cannot be ascertained who perpetrated the act of voter impersonation, evidence points to its impact on each List of Candidates.
Of the six (6) ballot boxes, 9.5°/4 of votes cast for APNU+AFC; 6.4% of votes for LJP; 14% of volts cast for PPP/C; and 27.3% of votes cast for TNM were impacted be reported.
REGION NINE
A total of 73 ballot boxes were processed during the recount from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and based on the Observation Reports generated, there were, 26 missing Certifiable of Employment, and 408 instances of missing Oaths or Identity.
Additionally, there were six (6) cases in which extra ballot papers were found or missing from ballot boxes wi1hou1 1he requisite documentation.
Further to that, there were 180 instances of voter impersonation, as pointed out by the APNU+AFC, the majorly of which were caes in which persons voted for Electors who were out of the jurisdiction on Elections Day.
“In District Nine, there were four hundred and thirty-five (435) instances where the evidence of polling activities was not recorded in the available poll books. Specifically, twenty-six (26) Certificates of Employment (Form 4) and four hundred and eight ( 408) Oaths of Identity (Form 19) were not available 10 support entries in the poll books. As a consequence, it could not be reconciled that electors who cast ballots in these cases met the statutory requirement,” the CEO detailed.
It is believed that 2,096 of1he votes in 13 ballot boxes stand 10 be impacted by the irregularities, or 17″/o of all votes cat for the List of Candidates in District Nine.
“On the other hand, a total of I, 729 votes in ten (10) ballot boxes were impacted by allegations of voter impersonation, or 14% of all the votes cast in District Nine. Although ii cannot be ascertained who perpetrated the acts of voter impersonation, evidence poi n1s to its impact on each List of Candidates.
Of the JO ballot boxes, 16.5% of ,votes cast for APNU+AFC; 20.9% of votes cast for LJP; 12.2% of voles for PPP/C; and II% of volts cast for URP are impacted, Lowenfield further added.
REGION TEN
Meanwhile, in District 1O (Upper Demerara-Berbice), there were 40 cases of missing Oaths of Identity, and 10 cases in which extra ballot papers were found or missing from the ballot boxes without the required documentation.
Also, there were two cases in which evidence to validate the usage of Appoin1men1 of Proxy could not have been detected. Further to that, there were 51 alleged cases of voter impersonation. “The Party (APNU+AFC) alleged that based on their investigations in this region, these electors who are alleged to be out of the jurisdiction Were recorded as having voted. In respect of 1he allegations of voter impersonation, responses from the Chief Immigration Officer and a review of1he General Registrars Office’s Deceased Reports confirmed that these were of substance,” Lowenfield told the Commission.
According to the CEO, 1,022 votes have been affected by the irregularities, while another 2,538 have been impacted by the allegations of voter impersonation, representing 11 % of all the votes cast in District Ten.
To closing, a total of 29,954 votes have been affected as a result of the anomalies detected throughou1 the recount, while another 204,268 have been directly impacted as a result of the allegations of voter impersonation. In accordance with the Gazetted Order, which triggered the National Recount, the Elections Commission is ,expected to meet soon to deliberate on the CEO’s report, and will determine the way forward.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_6-14-2020