Jun 10, 2020 News
Leader of the Opposition, People’s Progressive Part/Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, has made a call to both supporters of the PPP/C and the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition to refrain from attacking the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh.
“I’ve noticed very harsh comments by supporters of the APNU+AFC and PPP/C directed at the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh. I wish to urge our supporters and well-wishers to refrain from ad hominem attacks against Justice Singh,” Jagdeo said in a statement yesterday.
According to the opposition leader, “The last few months have been a difficult period where the Chair has had to contend with key elements within the Secretariat and the three APNU+AFC Commissioners, who are bent on undermining every effort aimed at producing a credible result which reflects the will of the electorate.”
He lauded the GECOM Chair for her commitment to see that the national recount of ballots cast at the March 2 General and Regional election was concluded without a hitch.
“The fact that she was present at the Arthur Chung Convention Center throughout the entire process is testimony to her commitment to ensuring its completion in keeping with the undertaking that she had given to the court,” Jadgeo noted, adding that “The recount could not have been completed without her leadership and steadfastness.”
The results of the final tabulation of the recount show that the PPP/C has won with a grand total of 233,336 votes against the APNU+AFC Coalition’s 217,920 votes.
An unofficial estimation of the results gives the PPP/C 33 seats in Parliament, with 31 seats going to the Coalition, and the remaining seat to a tripartite joinder of A New and United Guyana, The Liberty and Justice Party, and The New Movement.
As the country awaits the official declaration, Jagdeo urged supporters to “exercise restraint” while the Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, compiles his report to present to the Commission.
The Commission will then meet to deliberate on Lowenfield’s report and the final results should be declared in accordance with the Order, on or before the 16th of June.