Guyana Elections 2020

With the votes from 95% of the 2,339 ballot boxes from the March 2nd elections tabulated, the ongoing  national recount show-ed the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) holding a lead of 14,317 votes over the incumbent APNU+AFC coalition at the end of yesterday.

With the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) nearing the end of the recount of votes cast at the March 2nd polls, President David Granger yesterday said irregularities reported by the APNU+AFC pointed to a deliberate manipulation of the electoral process even as he reiterated that he would abide by the final declarations of the elections body.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday called on the Commissioner of Police Leslie James to withdraw a list of voters that he purports were out of the country on polling day due to inaccuracies that have been uncovered.

With the tabulation of the recounted ballots from the March 2nd general elections drawing to an end, by the end of yesterday the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had a lead of 16,371 votes over the incumbent APNU+AFC coalition.

APNU+ AFC campaign Co-Chairman Joseph Harmon yesterday said that the Organisation of American States (OAS) went into the “boundary” of “interference” when it declared that the National Recount will yield a credible result for the March 2nd general and regional elections.

In its final report on the March 2nd elections here, the European Union Elec-tion Observer Mission (EU EOM) has said that the integrity of the entire electoral process was “seriously compromised” by the non-transparent tabulation of results in Region Four, for which it blamed senior Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials.

With 84% of the ballot boxes from the March 2nd general elections tabulated as of yesterday, the PPP/C had tallied 187,549 votes compared to 174,499 for APNU+AFC, a lead of 13,050 votes.

With a recount of the votes from the March 2nd general elections approaching the end and the PPP/C maintaining a significant lead (see other story on page 3), the incumbent APNU+AFC  last night made its strongest signal yet that it was preparing to reject the final result after making a series of claims that have been widely repulsed.

With just about 80% of ballot boxes tabulated the People’s Progressive Party/Civic leads the APNU+AFC Coalition by more than 18,000 votes at the General Elections.

Another series of allegations from the APNU+AFC about irregularities at the March 2nd general elections has fallen apart after facing scrutiny yesterday.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is 97 boxes closer to the completion of the National Recount however the body is no closer to a decision on how to respond to the various “irregularities” raised by the incumbent APNU+AFC.

Opposition parties yesterday sharply criticised GECOM Chair Claudette Singh for writing the Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) on May 22nd on allegations made by APNU+AFC about illicit voting at the March 2nd general elections, a task they said was beyond her remit and full with sinister implications.

As day 26 of the National Recount ended yesterday, a record 100 ballot boxes were recounted but the incumbent APNU+AFC continues to not sign certificates for completed districts citing irregularities.

June 16th has been proposed as the deadline for concluding the March 2nd elections process including the declaration of results even as the 25 days for the national recount nears an end with  no decision yet by GECOM on an extension.

With six counting days left in its original 25-day schedule, GECOM has recounted only 48% of the ballot boxes from the March 2nd general elections prompting deepening concerns about what it will do to expedite the process.

With one week left in its original 25-day timetable for the recount of votes from the March 2 polls, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) still has 1,290 ballot boxes to count, an impossible endeavour in the remaining time.

With only 41% of ballot boxes completed after day 17 of  a 25-day recount process, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is to meet today on accelerating the work and how to address claims of irregularities that are being raised by APNU+AFC agents.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues to increase its daily count of processed ballot boxes, managing to complete 88 yesterday and its Chair said those raising claims about irregularities will have to be prove them.

After weeks of waiting for positive word, the US-based Carter Center yesterday expressed disappointment at not being able to return and observe the recount of votes from Guyana’s March 2nd general elections and rapped the APNU+AFC government over the shutout.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) says it is heartened by President David Granger’s stated recognition of the recount being necessary to ensure a credible result to the March 2 elections but wishes that he would have assured of his party’s acceptance of the result from that process.