Georgetown: As Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) restarted the commencement of tabulations on Thursday in the aftermath of a High Court ruling, the Returning Officer (RO) of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo has flouted the court order and is refusing to present the Statements of Poll (SOPs) to ascertain the total number of votes cast at the March 2 general and regional elections.
After an uproar from those in attendance at the GECOM Command Centre, High and Hadfield Streets, Chairperson retired Justice Claudette Singh suspending the tabulation of votes for District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) votes.
But when the process restarted on Thursday, the RO returned to the use of a spreadsheet which the political parties had objected to last week Thursday.
One of the local election observers, Kit Nascimento said that all observers objected to the use of the spreadsheet again and so the RO left and promised to return with the SOPs but he did not and instead read “from figures he presented a couple days ago.”
The Chief Justice Roxane George on Wednesday ordered the RO to return to the credible and transparent tabulation of ballots in Guyana’s largest voting district, Region 4 following an injunction filed by a private citizen last week.
The Chief Justice in her ruling noted that every effort must be made to ensure that everyone is satisfied that the process is fair. She added that confidence in the electoral process must be restored.
On Thursday morning, only one observer from each mission and two-party agents from each political party are allowed inside the GECOM Command Centre on High and Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Sase Gunraj has reported that “there was a stoppage and during that, the Chair came and addressed the gathering (of Observers and Party Agents). She indicated that she did not receive the judgment and as a consequence, she caused a cessation of the process until she receives, digests (the Court’s ruling) and determines the way to proceed. She indicated once she receives the judgement she would determine the way forward,” GECOM Commissioner.”
This comes less than a day after Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George ruled that the Declaration of Results by the Returning Officer for the District, Clairmont Mingo, was null and void.
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