– FOR DISTRICT TWO
I. The recounting of votes cast on 2nd March 2020 far Pomeroon/Supenaam, District Two that has a voting population on the Official List of Electors (OLE) of thirty-seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-nine (37,979) electors, which represents two (2) geographical constituency seats of the National Assembly was completed on 18th May 2020. A total of one hundred and thirty-five (135) ballot boxes were recounted, resulting in a total of26,62l and26,491 votes tabulated. for the contesting parties in the General and Regional elections, respectively.
2. Upon the contusion of the recount process, one hundred and thirty-five (135) observation reports were compiled in a mmix by ballot boxes, summarising. Anomalies/irregularities, and allegations of voter impersonation. Anomalies/irregularities are breaches of polling procedures outlined in the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) Cap 1:03 and die official manual for Presiding Officers and other Polling Day Officials (Revised 2019). Voter impersonation refers to instances where votes were cast in the names of deceased persons or in names of electors who were not themselves personally present to cast their ballots on 2nd March,2020.
3. The Anomalies/irregularities include thirty-five (35) instances where Form 19 (oath of identify) that is required by the statutes for electors voting without ID cards were missing
4. Recorded in the Observation Reports were allegations made by a contesting party that there were three hundred and three (303) instances of voter impersonation. The party that based on heir 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 om of the jurisdiction were recorded. as having voted.
5. In respect of the allegations of voter impersonation, responses from the Chief Immigration. Officer and review of the General registrars Office Deceased Rrports confirmed that these were of substance.
6. A total of eighty-six (86) ballot boxes sand affected due to a total of three hundred and thirty-eight (138) anomalies and or alleged voter impersonation. In other words, approximately 75% of all votes cast that for general elections are associated with boxes that stand to be impacted due to either anomalies and or voter impersonation. Specifically, 3% of the votes cast impacted by anomalies, while 55% were impacted by voter impersonation, and IN impacted by both anomalies/irregularities and voter impersonation.
7. In District Two, seven (7) Poll books were recorded as missing thirty-fin (35) instances where the evidence of polling activities; oaths of identify (Form I9) was not recorded in die available poll books. As I consequence, it cannot be reconciled that electors who cast ballots in these cases met the statutory requirement.
8. Another procedural error is note worthy, Seventeen (1 7) ballots were rejected for want of official mark (unstamped ballots).
9. Potentially, 745 -rotes in three (3) ballot boxes stand impacted by anomalies/irregularities this represents 3% of all votes cast for list of Candidates in District Two. These anomalies/irregularities impact 3.5% of votes cast for APNU, 2.9% of votes cast for APNU+AFC, ‘2% of votes cast for CG, 2.5% of votes cast for UP, 2″8% of votes for PPP/C, 5.6% of votes cast for TCI, and 6.3% of voces cast for URP.
10. On the other hand, a total of 14,715 votes in sixty-six (66) ballot boxes were impacted by allegations of voter impersonation, or 55% percent of all the votes cast in District Two. Although it cannot be ascertained who perpetrated the act of ,voter impersonation, evidence points to its
Impact on each List of Candidates. Of the sixty-six (66) ballot boxes, 40% of votes cast for ANUG, 44.5% of votes cast for APNU+AFC, 51% of votes cast for CG, 31.4% of votes cast for LJP, 59.8%of votes for PPP,’C, 52.6% of votes cast for PRP, 44.4% of votes cast for TCl, and 54.7% votes cast for URP are impacted.
11. Additionally, there were seventeen (17) ballot boxes 17% of votes cast in District Two that are impacted by both irregularities and impersonation. These seventeen (17) ballot boxes impacted the votes cast for Lisi of Candidates as fallows: 15.3% of votes cast for ANUG, 14.7% of votes cast APNU+AFC, 15.2% of votes cast for CG, 14.9% of votes cast for LJP, 17.6% of votes for PPP/C, 8.8% of votes cast foe PRP, 33.3% of votes cast for TCI, and 17.2% of votes cast for URP.
12. Against this backdrop, if the ballot boxes affected by the anomalies/ irregularities and voter impersonation are extracted from the process, the total will be 6,708 votes cast with a distribution of 35 votes for ANUC, 2,787 votes for APNU+AFC, 48 votes for CG 62 votes for LJP, 3,737 votes for PPP/C, 22 votes for PRP, 3 , votes for TCI and 14 votes for URP. A detailed statistical presentation of the categories of anomalies documented is summarized in Table 1 and detailed in Table 2 (Broadsheet) annexed lo this report.
13. Finally, the summation of anomalies and instances of voter impersonation identified in District Two clearly does not appear to satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness, and compliance with. provision of the Constitution and the ROPA Cap 1:03. Consequently, on the basis of me votes counted and the information from recount, it cannot be ascertained that the results for District two, Pomeroon-Supenaam, meet the standard of fair and credible elections.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_6-14-2020