EU observers want to see SOPs that Mingo used to prepare spreadsheet
Mar 13, 2020 , Source - https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...prepare-spreadsheet/
The European Union Election Observation Mission wants to play a role in helping to verify the Statements of Polls for Region Four.
The EU has written GECOM’s Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, asking to help verify Region Four’s SoPs.
The request was made yesterday by the mission to Clairmont Mingo, Returning Officer of Region Four, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The request came as criticisms were raised in some quarters over the increasing raised voices of the observers’ mission.
At least one GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, believes that overseas actors should not be interfering.
However, Alexander Matus, Deputy Chief Observer, of the Mission, in his letter to Mingo, indicated interest in examining SoPs.
“Pursuant to Section 4 (1) and (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act, as well as Section 6,7, 8 and 9 of the Administrative Arrangement between the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, I am hereby requesting to examine the Statement of Polls based on which you have prepared the spreadsheet of results before the ascertainment of results for Region Four is completed,” the letter of request said.
The EU would have fielded one of the biggest overseas mission for the March 2 elections, hailed as the one of the most critical in the history of Guyana.
At stakes for the incoming government is the control of the oil and gas sector.
The Coalition, led by the incumbent President, David Granger, believes it has won.
So does the main Opposition- the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.
It has been 12 days now since the elections with laws requiring a 15-day deadline for the announcement of results.
There has not been any because of challenges to Region Four. Regions One to Ten, excluding Region Four, have been announced with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, which lost in 2015, in a lead with over 50,000.