PPP/C call for recount caused no unwarranted delay
CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally said, yesterday, that the call, by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), for a recount of ballots, has not caused an unwarranted delay, as has been claimed by other stakeholders in the political arena. “I don’t know about an unwarranted delay,” he told reporters at a news briefing yesterday afternoon.
The PPP/C, in light of objections, withdrew its request for a recount around mid-afternoon yesterday.
The party’s query had to do with 35 ballot boxes in Georgetown and 13 on East Bank Demerara and it was for partial recounts.
Surujbally, earlier in the day, acknowledged that a recount will take time and that the timeliness of the announcement of the results has been compromised by the challenge.
However, later in the day, he said: “We cannot see this causing a delay.”
According to law, political parties contesting the general and regional elections have until noon the day after the elections to make calls for recounts, based on reasonable cause.
Surujbally stated that, while GECOM could have questioned the cause, it did not.
The GECOM Chairman said: “You make a challenge; we answer that in context of transparency and democracy.”
He maintained that GECOM has conducted a very successful election, in compliance with all legal requirements.
“We have followed and continue to comply with the legal requirements and all other statements to the contrary are false and provocative…the official results of the elections, when they are declared by the Chief Elections Officer, are the accurate reflection of how the electorate voted,” Surujbally asserted.
“The results of the 2011 polls have in no way, shape or form been compromised,” the GECOM Chairman insisted.