…GECOM now expected to start recount
Caretaker President David Granger is now expected to consummate his commitment that he gave to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for a countrywide recount of the votes cast at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections
This is in light of a Full Court vacating the decision by Justice Franklyn Holder to hear a case that halted a decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to pursue a recount.
This is according to Anil Nandlall, one of the attorneys for the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who successfully appealed the decision by Justice Holder on Friday last, to hear a case brought by A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) candidate, Ulita Grace Moore, which was aimed at preventing the Caricom-monitored recount.
Speaking to members of the media following the ruling, Nandlall said: “now that the way has been cleared, we expect that GECOM would now take up the mantle and the commitment that the Chairperson of GECOM gave publicly, gave to several courts…”
According to Nandlall, the GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh has already indicated that a recount, already decided upon by the Commission, will now be carried out “and that political parties will be allowed to participate fairly and observe that recount.”
Optimism
He used the occasion to express optimism at the return of the Caricom team of observers led by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, in addition to the international observers “to ensure that the recount is done in accordance with law and in a transparent manner to remove all doubts and all suspicious from the process so that in the end we will have declared the real results of these elections as expressed by the electorate.”
Speaking to the likelihood of an appeal as signalled by Moore’s attorneys, Nandlall expressed hope that the Judiciary would not stand in the way of GECOM carrying out its constitutional functions and mandate “and we can bring an abrupt end to this impasse that has permeated this country over the past month.”
He suggested that in the interim, “monies are being spent illegally, Government holds onto power illegally and the country is deteriorating.”
According to Nandlall, the Caricom Initiative—an agreement brokered by Mottley for a recount and agreed to by President Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo—remains in place.
He reminded that Granger had suggested that the only reason why he could not comply with the process was because of the injunction that was filed by Moore.
Nandlall posited that “now that, that injunction has been lifted, that excuse is no longer available to the President and we will expect that the President will consummate his commitment that he gave to Caricom and will allow the recount to take place under the supervision of Caricom and the international observers.
He used the occasion to note, however, that Justice (retd) Singh in her submission had indicated that GECOM was prepared to go ahead and do the recount without a Caricom input.
“She emphasised that, that recount would be done in a manner that will dissipate any doubt and will be done in a manner that will inspire public confidence in the system.”
Speaking to the need for as many observers as possible monitoring the process, Nandlall reminded that his party did not trust the Secretariat.
“The more observers available obviously will allay not only our own suspicion but the suspicion of the country because no one has confidence anymore in the GECOM Secretariat after what we have seen,” Nandlall insisted.
