Candidates of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) met this afternoon with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to address and seek clarity on a number of issues in relation to the discrepancies allegedly unearthed in the ongoing recount of the ballots cast in the March General and Regional Elections, and remedies for same.
Updating the media on that meeting today, were Social Protection Minister, Amna Ally; Health Minister, Volda Lawrence; and APNU+AFC Candidate and Attorney-at-law, Roysdale Ford.
Ally told media operatives that the team wanted to ascertain from GECOM, how the elections body intends to deal with the issues documented in the Observation Reports (ORs) which are being attached to the Statements of Recount (SORs).
The OR, as the name suggests, includes observations made by parties during the recount exercise. The APNU+AFC agents have made several objections during the exercise. These objections range from allegation of “dead voters” to persons who migrated prior to polling day, still being listed as having voted.
Also, there are objections in relation to missing List of Electors, broken party seals on ballot boxes, missing pollbooks and discrepancies in the number of persons voted as opposed to those slated to vote. All of these objections are included in the OR, which is then read to the nation during the live tabulation aspect of the recount.
The APNU+AFC has stated from Day One of the exercise that they have proof of their claims and will be presenting same to GECOM. Ally revealed that some were already tendered but could not say how many. She said that she will endeavor to provide that number as soon as possible.
She said, too, that GECOM can check on the validity of the party’s claims by checking with the relevant state institutions.
For instance, she suggested that GECOM can check the Guyana General Registrar’s Office (GRO) Death List in relation to claims of dead voters. Ally said too, that GECOM can check with the Immigration Department to test the validity of APNU+AFC’s claim that persons who migrated were listed as those who voted.
Further, Ally said that the team today also raised concerns over a “fake box”.
The team also asked that GECOM stick with the measures contained in the Recount Operationalisation Order.
