Guyana Elections 2020

After two days, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has managed to completely recount the ballots cast in 65 of the 2339 polling stations which operated on March 2, 2020.

Western diplomats representing the US, UK, Canada and the European Union yesterday met with de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Karen Cummings on the elections recount amid repeated warnings to George-town that the process has to be transparent and lead swiftly to the declaration of results.

Following a series of complaints, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday attempted to improve the accommodation for media operatives stationed outside the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) for the National Recount Exercise.

The long-awaited recount of the votes from the March 2 General and Regional Elections in Guyana continues on the second day. 

Only 25 ballot boxes from a total of 2,339 were counted on day one of the long-awaited recount of votes from the March 2 General and Regional Elections and after a late start yesterday,  various hiccups and getting used to the procedures, today will give a  clearer picture of whether the projection of 25 days for completion will have to be drastically revised.

With all the ballot boxes transported yesterday to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the recount of votes from the March 2nd elections is finally set to begin this morning even though there was a late concern raised by the PPP that the Chief Election Officer should not have sole possession of the crucial Statements of Recount at any time.

Nine weeks after Guyanese cast their ballots at the General and Regional Elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has finalized and published an Order which governs the national recount scheduled to begin tomorrow.

The Government of Guyana yesterday maintained complete silence in the face of mounting local and international pressure to facilitate the return of observers from the Carter Center for the National Recount scheduled to begin tomorrow.

President David Granger has welcomed the announcement from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that the total national recount will begin on May 6 and urged Guyanese to remain patient as the recount is conducted. 

GECOM has set Wednesday for the start of the much-delayed recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections but a major battle remains to be settled over live streaming of the exercise and yesterday seven of the parties which contested reiterated reservations over aspects of the process.

The US, Canada and the United Nations yesterday urged the Guyana Government to pave the way for the return of observers from the Carter Center for the recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

An extra hour has been cleared for the daily recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections but the CARICOM Secretariat is still to advise the Guyana Elections Commission on when its team is to arrive.

All eyes are once again turned to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which is expected to announce a date for the start of the National Recount today.

The high-level team of scrutineers from CARICOM for the recounting of votes from the March 2nd general elections is to travel to Guyana on Thursday following the approval of a chartered flight by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF).

Trinidad-based lawyer and former United States (US) consular officer Randy Depoo yesterday presented a petition consisting of some 6,500 signatures to the United States Embassy here in Guyana calling for personal sanctions to be imposed against twelve members of the APNU+AFC coalition and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for allegedly attempting to “rig” the March 2 general and regional elections.

The finalised order for the recount of votes at the March 2nd general elections will allow a high-level CARICOM team to submit a report at the end of the process which ”may” be considered by GECOM but up to yesterday there was no word on when it will arrive here.

Accusing its officials of partiality in favour of the incumbent APNU+AFC, commentator Ralph Ramkarran says that GECOM is now the major battlefield for free and fair elections and he chastised its Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh for inaction at key points in the elections process.

GECOM yesterday said a recount of ballots in the hotly disputed March 2nd general elections could take at least 25 days and amid continuing fears of rigging, the opposition PPP last night said  it has “grave doubt” whether the process would be credible given the voting by Chair Claudette Singh on several pivotal matters.

The opposition PPP/C yesterday express-ed “grave doubt” over the credibility and transparency of the impending national recount of votes from the March 2 polls, after Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh voted against a majority of proposals made by opposition-nominated commissioners that they say were intended to “safeguard” the process.

A senior US official today again lamented the delay in the finalization of Guyana’s election results and said this is a violation of the rights of the people of this country to a transparent electoral process.