Counting of GPSU ballots suspended

-presidential candidate decries stalling technique

The counting of ballots in the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) elections has been suspended until next Wednesday, after problems were allegedly encountered with the procurement of staff for the process.

GPSU presidential candidate Gregory Gaspar believes the postponement is a stalling technique by his opponent, the incumbent Patrick Yarde, who has been at the helm for more than two decades.

GPSU presidential candidate Gregory Gaspar speaking to the media yesterday.

When Stabroek News made attempts to speak with GPSU elections officer Herman De Souza yesterday about the decision, the security guard related that he would not be meeting with media officials. Repeated efforts to contact Yarde were unsuccessful.

The GPSU elections were held on Thursday. Polls officially closed at 6 pm and the counting of ballots at the GPSU union hall, where Yarde’s office is located, began around 8.30 pm. The counting of one ballot box was completed that night, before workers were allowed to go home. The remaining ballot boxes from across the country were delivered yesterday, but no additional counting took place.

“As the elections officer, he [De Souza] was responsible for getting personnel and paying them so they could come and count the votes and whatever else, but apparently that wasn’t done. Even since last night [Thursday] after we only counted one box, he said he was getting problem in getting people to come and work…,” Gaspar said yesterday.

“Everything was going well and they would have been tracking the numbers and they knew they were behind so this is the effect of that…,” he added.

Gaspar explained that there was an incident on Thursday night where observers were asked to leave the ballot boxes at the premises unsupervised, but they refused. As a result, Gaspar and two others camped out in their vehicles overnight to ensure the ballots remained secure. Yesterday around 10 am when this newspaper arrived at the union hall, they were still outside awaiting the arrival of the elections officer, who apparently did not make an appearance until midday.

“He said they’ll have to continue tomorrow so I asked about the security of the ballot boxes. He offered to say they would be placed in his office. I said, that’s not your office, that’s an office allocated to you by the president of the union, he has all the keys to this union and I am not satisfied with leaving the boxes unsecured at this premises,” Gaspar stated, before opining that De Souza seemed incapable of making decisions on his own as he turned to the union president for direction on all matters.

Asked whether he believed the elections process had been free, fair and transparent, Gaspar responded in the negative, and cited instances in areas such as New Amsterdam, and cases, where public servants were unable to vote because their names were not on the list, although their union dues were up to date.

“As I said, the whole elections process has been compromised, so whatever happens, we’re not accepting it…,” he said. “It’s difficult, the whole process and the stalling of this is to ensure that I don’t win…The last thing Mr Yarde said before he left yesterday and entered his vehicle is ‘Y’all are in for a rude awakening.’ And this is what has been happening, so you take it into consideration.

“This won’t drive me away. The fight has just begun and I will push for change and we will make the change. God don’t sleep… so he can do what he likes and think he will get through, but God will make the change, and this union will come out of the doldrums that it is in,”

Following the close of polls on Thursday evening, Gaspar had stated that his team was excited about the results it had received so far. Yarde could not be reached for comment.

According to reports received, the statement of polls from the Guyana Revenue Authority returned votes of 96-16 in favour of Gaspar. When the polls were checked on Thursday evening at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the numbers showed 62-30, also in favour of Gaspar. Up until about 9 pm, votes were still being counted at the union hall.

On Tuesday, the GPSU announced its intention to hold its elections on Thursday, after an injunction barring it from proceeding until financial statements were submitted, was discharged by Justice Nareshwar Harnanan.

Even so, the union is set to attend court on May 10, to answer to an action filed against it before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, which accused the members of failing to properly manage the union in accordance with its rules and called for the council to be suspended until it could produce the Treasurer’s reports and/or the Auditor General’s reports for 2004 to 2017 and table them at the Biennial Delegates’ Conference.