Dear Editor,
In the lead up to the recount of the votes cast in March 2 elections, observers both at home and abroad were eagerly awaiting the new bag of tricks that the APNU/AFC would unleash to frustrate the process. True to form, the APNU/AFC did not disappoint with outlandish and artificially created claims of discrepancies and electoral fraud deliberately designed to slow and/or discredit the process.
Although the recount has seen several minor hiccups along the way, for the most part, it has been relatively smooth, albeit extremely slow. Thus far, the completed recount of Regions One and Two compare favourably to the original declarations. More importantly, the ongoing recount of Region Four ballots highlights in no uncertain terms, Mingo’s padded numbers in favour of the coalition, a trend that is more than likely to continue.
A credible recount will confirm what the APNU/AFC already knows. It, therefore, begs the question, what’s next? It appears the newest ploy by the incumbent is to discredit the very elections they not so long ago claimed to have won convincingly. Among the bizarre anomalies cited are that migrants and the dead voted in the elections. So far, no credible evidence has surfaced to substantiate the veracity of the APNU/AFC’s claims. On the contrary, investigative reporting by the media has produced evidence that two couples who the APNU/AFC claimed migrated had indeed voted and still reside in Guyana.
While there have been some discrepancies (eg, missing poll books, unstamped ballots), all it shows is a less than perfect manual system that is subject to human error. However, the system in itself is certainly not flawed to the extent that it will impact the overall results.
As a last-ditch effort, the APNU/AFC will likely use these immaterial discrepancies to challenge the finality of the recount. One can only hope that such an action is futile.
The bottom line is that the APNU/AFC is grasping at straws. No matter how they twist or turn it, no amount of spin will change the outcome.
Yours faithfully,
Omchand Mahdu
