CALLS from the Indian Arrival Committee for an immediate, impartial and independent International Forensic Audit of the May 11th, 2015 General and Regional Elections in Guyana have not been raised officially with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).This is according to the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, who added that the Carter Center, from which the IAC is seeking support to advance its call, has not contacted the Commission.
“The Carter Center has not approached GECOM,” he said to the Guyana Chronicle, in an invited comment.
However, Dr. Surujbally added that GECOM will act relative to an audit, or a recount, if the court calls for such a move.
“Anytime the law says you have to do it we will do it,” he declared.
In the meantime, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has publicly challenged the outcome of the May 11th polls and is currently in the process of petitioning the High Court.
The PPP/C has claimed that the problems in the electoral process include: 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; persons without identification cards being 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, among others.
Recounts were requested before and after the official declarations were made, but these were rejected. Also denied was the PPP/C request for the SoPs, Tally Sheets and a breakdown of results of each Polling Division or Ballot Boxes.
The current A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration scored a close victory in the General and Regional Elections with 207,200 votes, while the PPP/C secured the support of 202,694 Guyanese who cast their votes in support of the party.