OAS says GECOM already in possession of “valid votes” from national recount

The Organisation of American States (OAS) has asserted that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is already in the possession of “valid votes” produced by the Caricom-supervised recount exercise.
The international electoral observer mission made the contention in a statement on Tuesday following the Court of Appeal’s interpretation of the Guyana Constitution that “more votes cast” actually means “more valid votes cast”.
The OAS, of which Guyana is a member, posited that “GECOM is therefore already in possession of a result based on the valid votes cast on March 2, 2020, through a recount exercise that was approved by all stakeholders.”
It further noted that “In these circumstances, the OAS General Secretariat expects that anyone who wishes to challenge the validity of any of these votes should do so through an election petition filed in the High Court, after GECOM declares the election result based on the recount data.”
The results from the recount exercise show the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC garnered 217,920.
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had also contended that “valid votes” were already determined by GECOM through the recount activity.
According to the OAS, Guyana’s 2020 elections have been reviewed repeatedly and extensively by both national and regional courts and while its General Secretariat advocates for the right of all citizens to access electoral justice, “there is a fine line between the right to redress and the use of the courts to stall the electoral process”.
It was the APNU/AFC, through its supporter Eslyn David, that approached the Court of Appeal just when GECOM had decided to go ahead with the declaration of the elections based on the recount results.
Now, the Appeal court’s ruling is being challenged at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by the PPP/C which has contended that the Court’s pronouncements have “plunged the law in total confusion and it is now no longer clear how an election of members of the National Assembly is to be challenged and how the election of the President can be challenged.”
Nevertheless, the OAS contended that Guyana’s electoral process “must be brought to an end, based on the results of the National Recount, and with respect for the will of the majority of the electorate.”
“It is undeniable that this election has gone on long enough,” the OAS expressed, noting that it remains committed to the strengthening of democracy in Guyana, hoping for a “just and fair conclusion” of the current process.
The OAS has accompanied the March 2 elections in Guyana throughout all of its stages, including the National Recount which last from May 6 to June 8.
OAS observers were present for the determination and tabulation of the total valid votes cast in each Region – totals that were subsequently confirmed by the Chief Elections Officer and submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).