May 11, 2020 News
– To officially write GECOM Chair
The Opposition People’s Progressive Party will be writing to the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh, seeking the removal of the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers from the ongoing recount process at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC).
Executive Member of the Opposition, Anil Nandlall yesterday at the recount site, told reporters of his party’s intention to send a letter to the Chair, seeking her removal.
The reason for their move, the party cited in a press statement, that Myers “has been trying to stymie the recount process and undermine its transparency.”
“The latest evidence of this is her collusion with the APNU/AFC in seeking to take away cell phones from party representatives participating in the recount…an act which was vigorously opposed by all the political parties,” the PPP said in their press release.
That ban was however lifted by the GECOM Chair.
A formal complaint, he noted will be filled soon.
“We feel that she is not acting in the best interest of GECOM and she is encouraging all these sideshows to continue. Yesterday, it was Ms Myers who instructed that the containers [be] closed at 5, and don’t release more boxes to count. We could have counted a box in each station. Ten boxes could have been counted between 5 to 7 but decision eventually won the imprimatur of the Chairman, unfortunately. And so, we have to continue to fight for getting speed in the process, because obviously, speed seems to not be a priority with GECOM. They want this process to run on forever.”
Nandlall answered affirmatively when asked whether the party would be seeking the direct removal of the DCEO from the recount process.
“Yes, we are going to ask them…you would recall that Ms. Myers was even the subject of critical commentary and condemnation by the international observers, and we spoke to GECOM about that. Lowenfield seems to be behaving himself, but Myers has gone awry so we are going to request that, unless she behaves herself. We don’t want no favours from anyone; we want the process to run smoothly,” Nandlall said.