Recount results should constitute basis of election declaration – Commonwealth SG

…process accurate, credible – Sir Ronald Sanders

Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland on Monday urged that there be acceptance of the results from national elections recount in Guyana.
She shared these sentiments following the submission of a report from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) high-level observer team that supervised the recount process. Scotland pointed out that it was clear that the recount results were “completely acceptable” and nothing that the Caricom observers witnessed warranted a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results were acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2 elections.

She added that President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo demonstrated “commendable leadership when they agreed to the recount and committed to respect and adhere to the recount results. This continued leadership and commitment is needed now more than ever. The people of Guyana have been patient and deserve finality as determined by the recount results.”
Scotland also commended the Caricom team members for their brave and selfless service while also thanking Senior Commonwealth Adviser, Dr Afari-Gyan, who remains faithful, steadfast and resilient in his professional and experienced support to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“The Commonwealth continues to stand with Guyana and urge the leaders and the people of Guyana to live up to the lofty aspirations set out in your constitution, your electoral laws, and the Commonwealth Charter,” Scotland stated.

Democratic Government
Meanwhile, Guyana-born internationally-respected diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders has asserted that the recount of votes cast in the March 2, 2020 Elections is “accurate, credible, and is the basis for a democratic Government in Guyana”.
As such, he said he fully supported the position as set out by the Organisation of American States (OAS), which he also noted is consistent with the report submitted by the Caricom team.

The OAS has called on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) to begin the process of transition, which would allow the legitimately-elected Government to take its place. This call came hours after the Caribbean Community (Caricom) high-level observation team said in its report on the elections recount that the process was conducted in “a professional, transparent and impartial fashion”, which allowed GECOM, political parties, and other stakeholders to accurately determine the results for each polling station. As such, the OAS reiterated that there was no reason not to support the results of the recount process.
Meanwhile, the Caricom report explains that there was nothing emanating from the recount activity that thwarted the will of the people who cast their ballots at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
On Saturday, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield submitted to GECOM’s Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh his report on the recently-concluded national elections recount of the ballots cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
The figures presented by Lowenfield that were garnered in the recount process show the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the March 2 General Election with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes.
For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2313; Change Guyana –1953; Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; People’s Republic Party – 889; The Citizen’s Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.
In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C also won with 233,661 votes, while APNU/AFC secured 217,055 votes. Change Guyana – 2607; Fed-Up Party – 153, Liberty and Justice Party – 2935; Organisation for the Victory of the People – 448; People’s Republic Party – 927; and the United Republican Party – 1369.
However, in his report, the CEO went outside of his ambit and sided with the APNU/AFC when he said the March 2 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and fairness owing to the unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrated persons voting.
However, neither Lowenfield nor the APNU/AFC produced a shred of definitive evidence to support those allegations.