State of affairs in Guyana has caused enormous hurt, damage – Irfaan Ali

…says PPP/C looks forward to conclusion of electoral process

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic has welcomed a “conclusive” timeline for the end of the ongoing National Recount of the votes cast at the March polls and declaration of the 2020 elections results.

“I am very happy, whilst I’m dissatisfied with length of time given – yesterday [Thursday] I said we would like to see a declaration by June 11… notwithstanding that, we have a conclusive timeline now [for the end of the recount and declaration of the elections results,” PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.
His comment came on the heels of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) approving earlier in the day, an extension to the 25-day timeline for the recount process.
The National Recount got underway on May 6 and was expected to conclude today. However, with more than 700 ballot boxes still to be counted, the exercise was extended by an additional 14 days.
According to the addendum to the Recount Order, the exercise shall conclude on or before Saturday, June 13.
However, even with the addition of two weeks, GECOM will take another three days before finally announcing the results of the elections on June 16.
During his briefing on Friday, Ali stressed the need for there to be a conclusion of the electoral process, which has been ongoing now for almost three months.
“Guyanese and Guyana have been suffering. The unease in our society, the tension that exists, the stress that exists is not only as a result of the COVID pandemic but because of this [situation]. The state of affairs of our country has caused enormous hurt and damage to us, to Guyana locally and internationally. Now, we have [a] definitive timeline as to when we will have the declaration,” he asserted.
The PPP/C Presidential Candidate used to the opportunity to dismiss attempts by Government-nominated Commissioner at GECOM, Vincent Alexander. He said Alexander sought to misrepresent the seven-member Elections Commission when he claimed that they would be looking into these issues raised by the APNU/AFC during the recount.
The coalition has claimed that hundreds of persons who are either dead or migrated have voted March 2.
To this end, Ali expressed concerns over the attempts by the APNU/AFC Commissioner to misrepresent GECOM and misguide the public.
According to Ali, along with stakeholders including the coalition and its leader, caretaker President David Granger, the GECOM Chair, (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, who spoke on behalf of the Commission, praised the Elections Day activity.
The PPP/C Presidential Candidate contended that the Elections Day activities and the voting are not the issues. In fact, he noted that the only fraud in the March 2 General and Regional elections were the “fraudulent declaration” made by embattled Returning Officer of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Clairmont Mingo.
Ali went on to point out that the evidence of Mingo’s fraud is clear and glaring but like his party, Alexander is also ignoring these.
“…the APNU/AFC Commissioner, Alexander, sidesteps the evidence – would say nothing about [Mingo’s fraud] but would rather pontificate on extraneous issues where no evidence exists and on issues that has no relation to the task at hand,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate posited.
Nevertheless, he noted that at the end of the recount and subsequent declarations of the elections results, then any party that feels aggrieved has the democratic right to file any petition it sees fit.