Questions raised after Volda Lawrence’s signature seen on declaration
Unverified Region 4 results
As the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) unverified vote count continues to engage the attention of the High Court, questions are being asked as to the capacity in which the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) executive, Volda Lawrence signed document. Guyana Elections Commission, despite being barred by an injunction, went ahead and published the Form 24s for all regions on its website. This included the Region Four unverified declaration. On the form, there is the signature of Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo and that of Lawrence. All of the Form 24s that were published by GECOM on its website had GECOM’s stamp with the RO’s signature. However, a close examination of Region Four’s form shows that Lawrence’s signature was affixed below that of the RO.
![](https://guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PNCR-executive-Volda-Lawrence.jpg)
The tabulation of the Region Four Statements of Poll (SOPs) has been the subject of widespread criticism from the international community, local observers, civil society and Guyanese. The breakdown of the tabulation process started last Tuesday when at about 21:00h, the RO, Mingo informed the parties and GECOM that he was tired and abruptly halted the verification process. The process was again halted about three hours into the resumption of the verification process on Wednesday evening, controversy rose again after a suggestion was made to suspend the activity.
Two clerks, one of whom is heavily pregnant, were placed in charge of the verification process by RO Mingo and had complained about tiredness sometime after 20:00h on Wednesday.
But stakeholders, including many of the various parties’ representatives, objected to suspension of the verification process resulting in the Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield making arrangements for at least two Deputy ROs to go in to continue the verification.
![](https://guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Clairmont-Mingo-.jpg)