Georgetown: Of the 879 Region Four ballot boxes that are to be recounted at the Arthur Chung Convention Center, 85 that were already counted showed that the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo reduced the PPP’s votes by 686, and had increased APNU+AFC’s votes by 4,415.
When contacted PPP Executive, Anil Nandlall said “the boxes, as they are being completed, continue to confirm the accuracy of the statements of poll published by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in every material way.”
It is evident, as Nandlall said, that the statements of recount continue to vindicate the statements of poll published by the PPP, save and except for slight variations attributed to previously rejected votes being considered as valid, and vice versa.
Nandlall said his party is more than willing to share publicly the information it has, including audio and video clippings with Mingo declaring the figures, and he also referred to the already public copies of the SOPs.
The former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs under the PPP/C Administration has in fact challenged “anyone” with SOPs that contradict those that the party has made public; and quickly suggested, “If they had, it would have already been out there.”
As Guyana continues its recount process, U.S. officials have increased their focus on the country’s political situation. The U.S. Department of State has affirmed that it will not accept a Guyanese government that is sworn-in based on an illegitimate election victory.
This has been followed by written statements from U.S. Congressmen, urging President David Granger to accept the recount’s results once finalized and to allow the re-entry of officials from TCC and IRI.
Further, the State Department’s Director for Caribbean Affairs, Katherine Dueholm, and the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, have reiterated the official U.S. position that any Guyanese political leader or electoral official involved in a fraudulent electoral process will be subjected to sanctions.
Unlike the March 2 elections, the recount began without the presence of observers from The Carter Center (TCC) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), whose application to return to Guyana has thus far been denied due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The pandemic has not stopped U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and the Department of State from not only maintaining pressure on the Guyanese government to conduct a transparent recount but to also allow U.S. actors to re-enter Guyana to observe the process.
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