Executive Member of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Joseph Harmon, says that the coalition will abide by any decision taken by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) regarding the recount of votes in Electoral District Four.
“It is not our duty to intervene. If the law provides for that, and GECOM recognizes that, that is what needs to be done then so be it. We will abide by what GECOM decides. There are some things that require an elections petition, there are some things which, during the course of time, they can actually make those applications. But, we will not stand in the way of any reasonable application. We do not intervene, neither do we interfere in the work of the elections commission. We have always said that,” Harmon told the media today.
Several requests for recount were already submitted by representatives of political parties, including the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Change Guyana (CG) and The Citizenship Initiative (TCI).
Guyana Standard understands that Charles Ramson Jr. from the PPP/C and Nigel Hinds from the Change Guyana party and the Presidential Candidate of the TCI, Rhonda-Ann Lam, made those requests on behalf of their parties. They had up to midday today to do so.
Chapter 84 (2) of the Representation of the People act, states, inter alia, that if no request for recount is made by the counting officer to the RO before midday, the declaration of the votes shall be final.
The results declared last night by Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo, puts the incumbent in a comfortable lead. The process, however, since the close of polls on March 2, has been marred with controversy after the next.
