PPP to GECOM: Protests will continue until demands are met
Friday , October 23 2015, Citizen’s Report, Source
EVEN as their elections petition receives the attention of the High Court, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) continues to demand reform at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). And its call was evidenced by a peaceful protest action outside the Commission’s Kingstown, Georgetown, office yesterday. Scores of PPP/C supporters marched with placards that screamed their demands.
The placards read ‘PPP/C was cheated, not defeated, ‘Surujbally must go’, ‘These elections were not free and fair’, ‘We need impartiality from GECOM’ and ‘Recount my vote’, among other appeals.
Opposition Leader and former president, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, when asked to comment on the matter, made clear that the Party’s demands have not changed.
Meanwhile, PPP General Secretary, who was at the forefront of yesterday’s protest, stated that the protests will continue until the Party’s demands for reform are met.
The discovery of falsified Statements of Polls (SoPs); the refusal of GECOM to have public vetting of polling day staffers, many of whom were discovered to be activists of the political Opposition; misdirection by some GECOM staffers who “advised” voters; damaged stamps that saw some ballots not being properly stamped; the fact that persons without identification cards were allowed to vote even though their images did not match those in the files of GECOM staff; and the denial of proxy holders to use their proxies, are among the irregularities the PPP has spoken out against.
Several demands were made before and after the final declaration of the election result was made, after irregularities were flagged by party officials.
While, one demand was met, explanations on why GECOM’s Information Technology (IT) department was shut down and why its report which showed discrepancies in the tabulations of the Returning officers was withheld from the public are still to be forthcoming. Information related to the discovery of fake SOPs is also still to be made available, particularly as it relates to the number of fake SOPs and how many were discounted.
The party had called for a recount of votes before the final declaration was made, but this was not granted. A second request for a country-wide recount was also rejected.
These issued are addressed in the Party’s 15-page elections petition, which requests that the court order the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to conduct a forensic recount of the votes. It also questions whether the election was lawfully conducted and the possibility of the officially declared results being altered.
Notably, the GECOM Chairman has publicly said that it will conduct the recount is so ordered by the court.
Yesterday’s action was the latest in a series of protests that started soon after the May 11 General and Regional Elections’ results were declared by GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally.
