A technical team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is likely to arrive on April 30th, 2020 for the purpose of of overseeing the recount of the ballots cast at the March 2 regional and general elections.

According to a release from the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), the body met on Monday and among the decisions taken was the approval of the request from CARICOM for officials to travel to Guyana April 30th.

Earlier on Monday, CARICOM Secretary General, Erwin LaRocque in correspondence addressed to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), noted that the team will undergo COVID-19 tests in their respective countries  before travelling to Guyana to observe the National Recount.

He said CARICOM also made a request for approval for the departure and landing of a chartered flight from Guyana to collect the team members and return arrangements upon completion of the exercise.

In addition, a request for the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved PCR COVID-19 to be administered to the team before they depart Guyana has been made.

On Friday, GECOM approved a 25-day operational plan and a draft order for the national recount of all votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh expressed deep satisfaction with the progress made on Friday in finalising the operational plan and the draft order, but noted that it was no easy task, given the composition of the commission. “I am sitting on a very difficult commission, and people must appreciate that. It is a very difficult commission; it is a highly divided commission and they don’t necessarily agree, and sometimes you have to take the bull by the horn,” Justice Singh told this newspaper.