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BREAKING: Caricom changes vote recount observer team; arrival pushed back

 

The arrival of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team to observe the recount of votes cast in last month’s general elections has been pushed back and the team members have been changed, multiple sources have confirmed.

Sources close to team members in three of the Caribbean island nations confirmed to News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM/ Demerara Waves Online News that they will no longer be arriving on Thursday, April 30, 2020 contrary to an an announcement earlier this week by Guyana’s National COVID-19 Task Force.

They are so far coming from Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados.

The sources also say that none of the five people who was here last month to oversee the now aborted recount will be coming and instead, the team will be largely drawn from members of the CARICOM Observer Mission that watched the March 2, 2020 polls. 

Sources at the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission  told News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM that Commissioner John Jarvis is expected to come to Guyana by a charter flight. Also joining him would be St. Vincent and the Grenadines Deputy Supervisor of Elections, Sylvester King, and a former Returning Officer of Barbados, Leonard Walters.

Jarvis, according to the source, is said to be in contact with Guyana’s National COVID-19 Task Force about arrangements for his arrival.

Preliminary indications from a source in one of the Caribbean countries that would be sending an observer/ scrutineer to Guyana is that the cause of the delay might be two-fold– ensuring everyone gets a test for the coronavirus, COVID-19, before he or she arrives in Guyana.

Planners are also hoping that there are at least five team members who would be able to remain in Guyana for the recount which could take at least 25 days.

Election Commissioners representing the incumbent coalition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change and the opposition People’s Progressive Party earlier today said the Recount Order would be published in Guyana’s Official Gazette when an arrival date for the CARICOM team is known.

Election Commissioners representing the incumbent coalition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) earlier Wednesday said the Recount Order would be published in Guyana’s Official Gazette when an arrival date for the CARICOM team is known.

The National COVID-19 Task Force earlier this week had said approval had been granted for the team to arrive on Thursday, April 30, 2020.

It is unclear whether representatives of the  missions that had observed Guyana’s elections would be coming back due to logistical problems.

However, News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM understands that American, British, Canadian and European diplomats stationed in Guyana may observe aspects of the recount.

CARICOM, at the peak of last month’s controversy over the transparency and credibility of the votes especially those cast in Region Four, had dispatched a team Ms Angela Taylor, Chief Electoral Officer, Barbados; Mr Anthony Boatswain, former Finance Minister, Grenada; Ms Francine Baron, Chair of the Team and former Attorney General and Foreign Minister, Dominica; Ms Fern Nacis-Scope, Chief Elections Officer, Trinidad and Tobago; Ms Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer, Department of Government, UWI to oversee the recount of the votes.

However, that mission had several days later packed up and left after an APNU+AFC candidate had moved to the High Court to challenge the recount process and the role of the CARICOM mission hinged on an agreement between President David Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Guyana Court of Appeal weeks later ruled that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) could not have farmed out any of its supervisory or other responsibilities to anyone or organisation.

Both APNU+AFC and the PPP have claimed victory in last month’s polls.

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I still don't get why this recount will take so long, the first count took about a week and even that was too long. What derass, they take a half day break after every 100?

cain
Last edited by cain
@Ramakant-P posted:

They will keep counting until the APNU/AFC coalition wins.  PPP votes will disappear.  They already counted all ten regions and the record showed that the PPP won by 30,000 votes.   

What record showed the PPP winning?  Have a look at the GECOM website.  

T
@Totaram posted:

What record showed the PPP winning?  Have a look at the GECOM website.  

GECOM website is a fake.  If they are honest they should publish the results.  Why do thye stop counting ar regular intervals, But I don't expect you to understand as you are a bloody crook just like them.  

R
@Ramakant-P posted:

GECOM website is a fake.  If they are honest they should publish the results.  Why do thye stop counting ar regular intervals, But I don't expect you to understand as you are a bloody crook just like them.  

GECOM has published the results.  Do you know how to find their website or do you need help?  The PPP results are fake and if you were paying attention you would know that but it seems as if your attention span is about 15 minutes, usually starting at around 10a.m. EST.

T
@Ramakant-P posted:

IF GECOM posted the results, then who won?   Why are they not publishing the results in the official gazette?    Answer me that you prick.

Dumbo, if you were paying attention you would know that a court decision got in the way of the declaration.  Yes, a decision from the same court you called crooked.  You are hopelessly lost.

T
@Totaram posted:

Dumbo, if you were paying attention you would know that a court decision got in the way of the declaration.  Yes, a decision from the same court you called crooked.  You are hopelessly lost.

Bullshit!

R
@Totaram posted:

GECOM has published the results.  Do you know how to find their website or do you need help?  The PPP results are fake and if you were paying attention you would know that but it seems as if your attention span is about 15 minutes, usually starting at around 10a.m. EST.

Dude, why you continue to be so foolish. The entire world saw the attempt by Mingo, Myers and Lowenfield to rig the election. Now you telling people to go to the GECOM site? So why they decide to do a recount then?

V
@VishMahabir posted:

Dude, why you continue to be so foolish. The entire world saw the attempt by Mingo, Myers and Lowenfield to rig the election. Now you telling people to go to the GECOM site? So why they decide to do a recount then?

Dumbass, where in the world anyone takes the results of an election from a political party rather than from the official electoral body, in this case GECOM.  The recount was a decision made to appease the PPP.   Jagdeo claimed victory prematurely using some fake SOPs.  Wait for the recount but in the interim go to the GECOM site for the extant results.  

T
@Totaram posted:

Dumbass, where in the world anyone takes the results of an election from a political party rather than from the official electoral body, in this case GECOM.  The recount was a decision made to appease the PPP.   Jagdeo claimed victory prematurely using some fake SOPs.  Wait for the recount but in the interim go to the GECOM site for the extant results.  

How long will they wait for a recount that will never happen.  How many more  days  will it take for GECOM to start counting? Why is there a recount in the first place?   The PPP was leading by 59,000 votes when only Region 4 was left to be completed.    If they had completed the count, then the PPP would have  won by  30,000 votes. This Mr. Totabhai is your delema. 

R

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