–members will be named before dawn on Tuesday, President Ali announces
THE members of an International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) who will investigate the five-month period where attempts were made to rig the March 2, 2020 elections will be named next Tuesday, President, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali said on Thursday.
The President made the announcement during the commemoration of the 74th Anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs at the monument site.
“In honour of your sacrifices, I’ve committed that we will have an international CoI into the last elections,” he said adding: “We, particularly your President, promised an international CoI, so I say to all those who struggled and sacrificed; all those who worked in protecting the democracy that we have in your honour, before dawn on Tuesday, your President will name the members of that international CoI.”
The inquiry is anticipated to provide a foundation on which the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can fix the electoral system.
The findings will also be used to hold persons accountable, especially if they are found to be involved in illegal activities.
“Those who subverted democracy, and those who cannot present their SoPs [Statements of Poll], and those who struggled against the will of the people, the CoI will set the truth free,” President Ali said.
“Before down on Tuesday, the CoI will be in place, and another victory for democracy will be sought,” President Ali reiterated.
In his inaugural speech as President, Dr. Ali had committed to reviewing the events relating to the protracted electoral process, which concluded on August 2, 2020 after Guyanese cast their votes on March 2 that same year.
The citizenry had to endure an unimaginable wait for the results of the General and Regional Elections, as they witnessed unlawful acts, and a slew of legal challenges.
Earlier in the electoral process, Attorney-at-Law Charles Ramson Jnr. had filed criminal proceedings against Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, and Volda Lawrence, a former Public Health Minister in the A Partnership For National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government for allegedly forging documents, so as to defraud the nation.
It was reported that the particulars of the offence state that Mingo, having been procured by Lawrence, on or about March 5 at the Command Centre for GECOM, on High and Hadfield Streets, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, the results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana.
And, in more recent times, Lowenfield appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to three private criminal charges brought against him for alleged fraud and misconduct. He was granted $450,000 bail.
Lowenfield appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty, and was not required to plead to the indictable charges. There were two offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, and one charge of misconduct in public office. He was granted $150,000 bail on each of those charges. The CEO is expected to make his next court appearance on August 24.
On May 6, 2020 GECOM began a recount exercise, and at the conclusion, it showed that the PPP/C had won the elections with a majority of the votes.
