Mingo should play no further role in electoral process – Nandlall

– calls for recount to be televised to prevent more controversy

In the wake of the Appeals Court paving the way for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to proceed with a recount, lawyer for one of the litigants, Anil Nandlall has urged that Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo be excluded from the process.

Nandlall, who is one of the lawyers representing Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo in the matter, was at the time addressing the media following the Court of Appeal’s ruling on Sunday. He pointed out that Mingo is at the centre of many of the controversies that followed the elections.
“I believe that Mingo has demonstrated to the world and to GECOM that he must not be part of any electoral process, ever again, in the history of this country. He has tainted [the process] and the world saw him, declaring results from a piece of paper that bears no connection to the Statements of Poll and the ballots cast.”
“How can you entrust such an individual to be part of the process again? He is part of the problem; he is not the solution. We are looking for a solution. So, he must be removed, completely, from the exercise. That’s our position.”
According to Nandlall, Mingo is by no means indispensable since the Representation of the People Act provides for him to be replaced by his Deputy should the need arise.
“The law says that a Deputy Returning Officer can perform all the functions of a Returning Officer. So, Mingo is by no means or measure, indispensable,” the former AG pointed out to the media.
He also urged GECOM to consider televising the recount. While it would be unprecedented, it would also clear doubt and remove the uncertainty that has accompanied previous tabulations by GECOM for the elections held over a month ago.
“One would expect that the recount process would be done in accordance with law, would be done fairly and transparently and be observed by all. Once that is done, then we all will be duty-bound to bind themselves to the outcome of the recount and the results.”
“I can’t imagine that we are going to undertake a recount and when the decision of the recount is disclosed, then someone has a problem with it… once it is done in a fair, free, transparent manner. That’s why we are calling for it to be televised. You can’t get fairer and more transparent than that.”
Nandlall described GECOM allowing Guyana and the world to watch the recount live as the hallmark of transparency and accountability. But he noted that Mingo’s role in the process may lead to further controversy.
“We all know what aspect of the process is complained against. And it is only the tabulation of Mingo of the Region Four results. No other part of the process is tainted,” the attorney-at-law explained.
After the General and Regional Elections were held on March 2, the tabulation process went relatively smoothly for all the regions. That is, until the process started in Region four, the most populous region in the country.
Strange things began happening as the tabulation got underway at the Returning Office at Ashmins building, with Mingo complaining of feeling unwell and being rushed to the hospital, his staff refusing to continue the tabulation for various reasons, a GECOM staff being whisked away by Police after surreptitiously going into a room with a flash drive and computer and eventually, the count being suspended.
Mingo then returned with a piece of paper and declared results over the objections of all the party agents present. That declaration was subsequently declared unlawful by the High Court, but Mingo would return to make another controversial declaration, this time at GECOM’s office in Kingston.
Prior to his second declaration, agents at the GECOM office complained of being impeded from observing the counting process. Mingo’s refusal to show agents the original Statements Of Poll (SoPs) is reported to have hampered the transparency of the process.
He then made his declaration and was whisked away under Police protection. Both of these declarations differed in numbers, were reportedly not tabulated from the official SoPs and have been rejected by everyone except A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).
A unified international community has already warned Guyana that it could be isolated and even sanctioned if a President is sworn in on the flawed results, resulting in an uneasy standoff between the international community and the Government.