Attempts to rig 2020 elections: 15 witnesses ready to testify as CoI gets underway today

– Chairman says focus is on getting “truth” with “credible evidence”

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events that followed the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections that led to a five-month political deadlock in Guyana is set to commence public hearings today, with approximately 15 witnesses already lined up to take the stand.
The Election CoI opened on Thursday with Chairman, Retired Justice of Appeal Stanley John of Turks and Caicos, declaring that the exercise was aimed at uncovering “truth”.

“We are aware that much has been said about these events by many people from diverse places and organisations. But it must be borne in mind that this Inquiry has no case to prove. It is interested in the truth and in fair conclusions based on the evidence properly analysed.
“In making our findings, we will regard only to such matters as are substantiated by credible evidence with unstinting regard for the rules of natural justice, fundamental fairness especially as it relates to public inquiries and the rule of law,” the Chairman posited during remarks at the brief opening.
Justice John will be heading the Inquiry along with former acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean, Godfrey P Smith, and former acting Chancellor of Guyana’s Judiciary, Retired Justice Carl Singh.
The CoI Chairman accepted that the responsibilities before the Commission are “serious and heavy” and committed to executing the attendant duties with the utmost care but as expeditiously as possible.
“It is a responsibility that I, and my fellow Commissioners, intend to discharge carefully, with professionalism, efficiency, thoroughness, fairness, objectivity and impartiality… We shall ensure that the report of this Inquiry is scrupulously fair, both in terms of an accurate recording of the events we will be investigating and in terms of any criticism we may make of persons involved in those events,” he asserted.
Justice John further stressed, “This is an Inquiry to find out what in fact occurred; why it occurred; who, if anyone, is responsible and what can be done to prevent a reoccurrence.”
The Commission will commence public hearings from today at 09:00h at the CoI Secretariat located at Middle Street, Georgetown. The hearings will commence at 09:00h on weekdays and end at 16:00h with a two-hour lunch break.

Witnesses
According to Secretary of the CoI, Javed Shadick, there are already over a dozen witnesses set to testify, which will be sufficient for at least the first two weeks of the Inquiry.
While he did not want to divulge any details of who these witnesses are in order to ensure their safety and avoid any intimidation before their testimony, Shadick did note, however, that these persons include representatives from the various political parties that contested the March 2020 polls who were present during the various events that unfolded and led to the five-month impasse.
“There are persons who have a part to play in the elections. There are many persons who played a part – there are observers, there are presiding officers, there’re GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) officials, there is the press… There are persons who, from each one of those categories, are willing to come forward… We have about 15 persons who have stepped forward already,” the Secretary noted, adding that more witnesses were expected to come forward as the Inquiry progressed.
The testimony of each witness is expected to last about two to three hours. Three persons are lined up to take the stand at today’s hearing.
Moreover, Shadick further explained that the Commission would decide on whether it would subpoena witnesses as the Inquiry goes on but for now, various civil society stakeholders and representatives from all the political parties including the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition have been invited to participate in the exercise.
“We are trying to be as impartial and fair as possible and we are seeking the truth of what happened. So, our first methodology is to invite as many as possible… and we sent out invitations to a lot of persons,” he stressed.
The CoI is expected to run until the end of January 2023 after which its report would be handed over to President Dr Irfaan Ali at March month-end.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the CoI include inquiring into and reporting upon the relevant circumstances and events leading up to, and the procedures following, the March 2, 2020 elections regarding the counting, ascertaining and tabulation of votes polled and the public declaration of those results by the Returning Officer of Region Four and other elected officers.
The CoI is also mandated to determine what attempts, if any, were made to obstruct, frustrate, subvert and prevent the counting ascertainment and tabulation of votes as well as what attempts, if any, were made to obstruct, subvert and prevent a decision of the Guyana Elections Commission on March 14, 2020, to conduct a national recount of the votes polled.
The CoI is also expected to investigate the conduct of the Chief Elections Officer and other election officers and others in respect of the discharge and execution of their statutory duties, and finally, to make recommendations as to permit GECOM to discharge its statutory functions in compliance with the Constitution and relevant electoral laws.
Following a largely smooth polling day on March 2, 2020, Guyana was thrown into a tumultuous five-month political and electoral impasse after the then incumbent APNU/AFC regime attempted to steal the elections. It was found during a subsequent national recount process that the former Returning Officer for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Clairmont Mingo, had heavily inflated the votes in favour of the coalition.
Since the election fiasco, several persons who served within the apparatus of GECOM have been charged with electoral fraud. These include former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, former APNU/AFC Minister Volda Lawrence, and Mingo.