US Congress called upon to support GECOM’s declaration as final

A resolution has been placed before the US Congress, to have that body formally deliberate and call on Guyana’s political actors to respect the Declaration of Results by the Guyana Elections Commission, consistent with the laws of Guyana, as the final decision.

The resolution was introduced to the deliberative body by US Congressman Sanford D Bishop Jr on Monday, before the House of Representatives, and acknowledged that “the Guyanese people showed their strong belief in the democratic process by approximately a 75 per cent voter turnout.”
As such, the US politician is seeking to have the House of Representatives affirm a vow for peace and stability in Guyana and has also called on the citizenry “to respect the rule of law and human rights as the recount proceeds under the framework of respected democratic norms.”
Congressman Bishop further noted that “although international observers such as the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, The Carter Center, and the Ambassadors of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and the European Union issued preliminary statements, based on their observation on Election Day, suggesting that the voting itself was free and fair, it has been alleged that irregularities occurred in the vote tabulation process.”
As such, the Congressman’s resolution pointed out that it was this situation that led to GECOM eventually deciding on a recount under the watchful eyes of scrutineers fielded by the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
The Congressman commended Guyanese for the holding of peaceful multiparty General and Regional Elections and has observed in the resolution, that the US Congress has supported the recount by GECOM “under the scrutiny of Caricom, an organisation deemed acceptable by all parties.”
The recount of the votes cast on March 2, concluded on Sunday with GECOM ascertaining the contents of each of the 2339 ballot boxes used from across the country.
The preliminary tabulated figures have so far placed the Opposition – People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) – with a commanding lead over the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition.
The PPP/C is projected to take 33 of the 65 seats in legislative assembly while APNU/AFC will take 31 seats.
The remaining one seat is expected to be held by the Joinder Alliance comprising the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM).
With all of the votes recounted and final district certificates completed, it would then be up to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, to provide a report to the full Commission. A final declaration of the March 2 polls will then be made. This has come three months after the March 2 elections —the single longest such hiatus in the nation’s democratic history.