Gov’t dismisses APNU’s attempt at grandstanding - in SOPs findings
Written by Chevon Singh
Wednesday, 21 March 2012 22:58
Source - Guyana Chronicle
Dr. Roger Luncheon
GOVERNMENT has dismissed as nothing more than ‘an attempt at grandstanding’, the findings released by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) following that political entity’s independent verification of the Statements of Poll (SOP) from the November 28, 2011 General and Regional Elections.
Top Government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon said Government is not concerned about that opposition party’s findings.
“I don’t think we have a concern, if you ask me; that’s putting it factually,” Dr. Luncheon told reporters yesterday.
“I will say this -- that it was not so long ago when the President, in meeting with the leaders of the parliamentary opposition parties at the Office of the President, in the context of the earlier hype of SOPs (Statements of Poll) and accuracy, had offered and said: ‘Look, this fuss that you are making, if you’re serious, let’s forget that; let us agree that -- as we did in 1997 when Justice Cross came and on the basis of a court ruling opened the boxes -- count the votes. Let us repeat that, and I am prepared to live with the results of that exercise’.
Dr. Steve Surujbally
The Cabinet Secretary also reminded that the opposition party, APNU, had refused the earlier offer by President Ramotar, as the party was not supportive of the intervention.
According to Dr. Luncheon, APNU’s publication of its findings cannot undo an offer that was presented by the President, and which the party found unacceptable.
“My feeling is that the offer was made then, was not accepted, and hindsight is better than foresight. And when I assess what is playing out right now…it is more grandstanding by APNU, where this event is concerned,” he posited.
During a press briefing held at the Hadfield Street offices of the Leader of the Opposition on Monday, APNU announced that it had found misconduct and illegal acts in the holding of last year’s elections, and had suggested a GECOM complicity in that alleged “misconduct”.
Moreover, that opposition political party had said that its findings had suggested that the declared results of the elections do not provide a reliable basis to determine who had won the presidency.
The APNU report was presented by Nigel Hinds, head of the APNU ‘audit team’, which also included Fitzroy Corlette, Ronald Backer, Malcolm Harripaul, and George Vaughn.
GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally has since expressed concern over the recent statements made by representatives of APNU, following the party’s independent verification of the SOPs from the November 28, 2011 General and Regional Elections.
“We are concerned with this statement issued by APNU. We have asked for a report on their (APNU) analysis of the SOP’s, so when we get this we will make a more outlined response,” Dr. Surujbally explained.
Dr. Surujbally told the Chronicle that the Commission view these statements by APNU “with concern and we will respond in due course when we have had a chance to see the copy of their findings.”
Meanwhile, in a statement issued Tuesday, GECOM noted that, at the time that the Commission agreed to make the SOPs available to APNU for scrutiny, the Party had given the undertaking to provide GECOM with the details of its findings.
“Notwithstanding the APNU’s public pronouncements, to date GECOM has received no official documentation on this matter from the Partnership. In view of the serious nature of this matter, GECOM takes this opportunity to give the assurance to all stakeholders that all of the concerns raised by APNU will be considered extensively at the level of the Commission and its Secretariat in a timely manner. Immediately thereafter, the Commission will make a total and comprehensive response addressing all of the stated concerns,” the release stated.
According to the release, it is expected that the Commission will be in receipt of the documented detailed findings of the APNU, since this is fundamental to the Commission’s consideration of and response to the Party’s publicised concerns.