Attorney-at –Law and Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Sanjeev Datadin, is convinced that the citizenry is witnessing the most barefaced attempts to rig the 2020 General and Regional Elections while noting that his party will ensure every effort is made to thwart such actions.
During an exclusive interview with the Guyana Standard, Datadin reported some of the occurrences that took place at the Command Centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Datadin recalled that Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo fell ill yesterday which resulted in the tabulation of the Statement of Polls for Region Four being stalled. The process was supposed to commence at 9: 00am today but further delays continued. The lawyer noted that another commitment was given to restart the process at 12:00PM but a more shocking sequence of events took place.
Datadin said that Mingo returned to the Command Centre after being absent since yesterday, and without the tabulation of the Statements of Poll, attempted to make a declaration of the Region Four results. The lawyer said that several persons prevented him from making such statements as they expressed their anger and frustration.
Additionally, Datadin told the Guyana Standard that he is aware of attempts to have APNU+AFC’s Presidential Candidate, David Granger sworn in on the basis of unverified Statements of Poll that give Granger’s party the edge for Region Four.
Datadin said, “…This would be unlawful and contrary to the Constitution…This is the third attempt we have seen to rig the elections. And it is the most brazen attempt that I have ever seen to steal an election. But let me say this, any judge who swears in a President in these circumstances would be in breach of the Constitution and does not deserve to be a judge.”
He added, “It is inappropriate for any judicial officer or anyone for that matter to participate in the destruction of our democracy and to be an active participant of the rigging of elections.”
The lawyer said that the PPP will not allow Guyanese to be deprived of their democratic right while noting that they will continue to be vigilant at the Command Centre.
