ICD joins call for “expeditious recount”

…calls for Lowenfield’s removal from the process

The International Center for Democracy (ICD) has expressed deep concerns at the announcement of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield that the votes cast in the recent General and Regional Elections would take 156 days to be recounted.
The ICD is calling for him to be removed from his respective portfolio.
After the court challenges, a recount of the votes was ordered, for which Lowenfield was mandated to submit a work plan. On Wednesday, he arrived at the conclusion that the process can be done in 156 days, putting the process to an end sometime in September.
The Center, via a statement, responded to this position by urging GECOM Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh to take charge of the process and prepare a schedule to facilitate an expeditious recount.
The timeline suggested by Lowenfield should be rejected, owing to political bias displayed with support from the District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo and Deputy Returning Officer Roxanne Myers. The ICD is demanding that these three persons be removed from the process.
“The ICD demands that Madam Chair Claudette Singh take full responsibility to prepare and present to the Commission and all political parties a schedule for an expeditious recount…The ICD demands that the proposed 156 days’ timeframe proposed by CEO Lowenfield be rejected.
“The ICD demands that because of the dishonesty, lack of trust, failure to be impartial, and political bias displayed by Mr Lowenfield, Mr Mingo and Ms Myers, they all be relieved from their duties forthwith, and should not have anything to do with the recount process,” the statement posited.
These GECOM officials were also labelled as masterminds behind manipulation of the District Four Statements of Poll, which resulted in ‘fraudulent’ election declaration in favour of the caretaker coalition.
The recount, the agency said, should be conducted in the presence of representatives from all competing parties, international and local observers, the Caribbean Community, and other involved stakeholders. It expressed that the new timetable for the recount must be discussed and agreed upon by all competing parties.
It went on to say that all eyes from the international domain are on Guyana, as calls mount for the restoration of democracy and the swearing in of a democratically elected president.
“The ICD, International and Local Observer Groups, ABCE countries, CARICOM and other countries’ representatives worldwide will be paying close attention to ensure that the GECOM Chairwoman Claudette Singh execute her duties and responsibilities that were bestowed upon her by the Constitution of Guyana and by the people of Guyana to ensure that the recount of the ballots is done in a free, fair and transparent manner within the shortest possible timeframe, not to be misguided or misled by any political parties and or staff within GECOM, and to ensure that the three senior GECOM staff mentioned above are immediately relieved of their duties and responsibilities.”
It emphasized that since December 2018, the No Confidence Motion paved the way for elections within 90 days. The elections were not facilitated during that time, and Lowenfield was fingered for his role in this delay – cementing his intentions since the inception.
“The No Confidence Motion (NCM) that was passed in the Guyana Parliament in December 2018 constitutionally required that General Elections must be held within ninety (90) days. The General Elections were delayed for over one year. The CEO for GECOM played an integral role in this delay. For an entire year, Guyana was governed by a caretaker government,” the ICD recognized.
It further highlights the role of the incumbent caretaker coalition, the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), for its illegal tactics to remain in power without contributing to the resolution of fair elections.
“Just like the NCM, where the current regime remained in office for an entire year without Elections being held, the current regime again has remained in office but this time under blatant illegal manoeuvres by a few senior GECOM staff that resulted in no final Election declaration.”