Former president Donald Ramotar and other People’s Progressive Party (PPP) members and supporters yesterday hit the streets to protest the recent general elections results and to press for the resignation of Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally.
Around 150 persons protested near the Gecom offices in Kingston but they were dispersed by the rains less than two hours after the start.
“We want a recount!” they chanted. Also: “Barefaced thieves!”
The PPP has challenged the results of this year’s general and regional elections, saying that the official count by Gecom was wrong and the electoral process was manipulated in the favour of the APNU+AFC coalition.
According to the official count for the general elections, APNU+AFC received 207, 200 votes to the PPP/C’s 202,694 votes to win both the presidency and a one-seat majority in the National Assembly.
The PPP, which had been in power for 23 years, has since started making plans to file an elections petition with the hope of having the elections quashed.
Among the scores of protesters, Ramotar and several of his former ministers were seen picketing and chanting on High Street and demanding a national recount of the ballots. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall said it is his hope that the court would order the recount, while stating that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the elections were rigged.
Nandlall charged that the PPP was cheated out of government and that it had won the elections by several thousand votes. “That is why up to now we have requested a recount but we have not been granted that recount although we have a right to it,” he stated, before adding that Gecom has refused to release the Statements of Polls (SoPs) which were used to tabulate the results.
“Why are they refusing to do basic things to ensure the integrity of the electoral process?” he questioned although he refused to disclose the specific number of votes that the PPP allegedly won at the elections.
“The PPP supporters deserve to live in a democratic society and they deserve to know what transpired in elections 2015,” he also declared, before adding that the only way they would have that is if there is a national recount.
Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also participated in the protest and he said the party was definite in its claims that it won the majority of votes. He said the PPP will soon publish its SoPs.
Meanwhile, supporters of the party circled a section of the street, holding up placards and screaming for Surujbally to resign. The protesters did not mince words, shouting, “Fake government!” and “The rig worms in GECOM must go!”.
However, Surujbally, in an invited comment, stated that it was the protestors’ right to exercise their position on the results of the elections but cautioned that such protests are prone to “evolve into physicality.”
“If people feel strongly about something they have a right to exercise that but I must say the placards are disturbing,” he said.
He noted that even though the PPP is demanding his resignation, it had given no reason as to why he should. “So, I’m not letting that bother me. I will not be deterred by their picketing. There is more work to be done,” he added.
Surujbally also said that when a Chairman of an Elections Commission is placed under such abuse and pressure, no one else would desire such a position. “So what if I resign? When people see a chairman being put under such abuse and stress, who would want to take that position?”
Ramotar stated that if Gecom is interested in legitimacy, it should agree to the recount. “We are protesting because we have presented to the Elections Commission very strong evidence of false statements of polls and we are calling for a recount of the votes. The results were based on false SoPs,” he said.
He also said the recount will put the PPP ahead of the coalition by a minimum of 2,000 votes. “The election was rigged in many ways… on the road and in Gecom’s office,” he further said and he added that the manipulation was the work of returning officers.
“This government has started out on the wrong footing… they are not representing the will of the people. It is the worst form of corruption in a country. If this is the basis of the government then it doesn’t look well for the Guyanese community. We have to struggle against a government that does not represent the will of the Guyanese people and a government that is a part of the worst type of corruption by rigging the elections,” he said.
Ramotar vowed that they will continue to protest until they have a government that truly represents the interest of the people.
Other former ministers on the picket line included Robeson Benn, Frank Anthony, Priya Manickchand, Juan Edghill and Irfaan Ali. Noticeably absent was former President Bharrat Jagdeo who had been an integral part of the PPP/C election campaign.
