The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has launched an investigation into the alleged Local Government Elections (LGE) fraud which reportedly transpired at Rose Hall in Berbice.

The investigation was launched after 40 residents of Williamsburg, Rose Hall, sent two petitions to inform GECOM that they were fooled and tricked into signing a document which made them candidates on A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) List of Candidates for the upcoming LGE.
GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally is quoted in a report appearing in today’s Guyana Times that the Commission is investigating the incident, and noted that since the matter was “very technical, we would be examining it from all angles”.

GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally

He said Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, assisted by a high-level team from GECOM, would be visiting the areas to conduct investigations into the mater before any decision was made. The residents are peeved over the situation.
They claim that two persons – Hemwattie Isaacs and Robert Bisram – who are candidates for the coalition Government at the upcoming polls, are behind the fraud. Nineteen persons are claiming that Bisram fooled them, while 21 are claiming that Isaacs fooled them into signing a document which makes them candidates for APNU/AFC.
In separate petitions, seen by INews, it was stated that between January 11 and 24, Isaacs of Williamsburg South, Constituency Number Three;and Bisram, of Williamsburg Central, Constituency Number Two, went to those communities and bore false witness to the petitioners.
According to the petitions, both Isaacs and Bisram showed residents a form and told them that they were visiting on behalf of the Rose Hall Town Council (RHTC) and villagers had to sign a form in order for the area to be cleaned and for drainage works to be done by the RHTC.
The petitioners said that they later learnt that the two had enlisted them as candidates for the APNU/AFC for the upcoming local government elections.
“We wish to inform GECOM that we do not support APNU/AFC or any of its candidates. We are supporters of the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/Civic),” the petitions stated.

INews understands that the alleged fraud was later discovered after PPP/C LGE Representative, Vijai Ramo, was in the process of acquiring the signatures needed. The candidates then learnt the forms signed had enlisted them as candidates for APNU/AFC for the local government elections.