MEMBERS of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) continue to remain mum about concerns of glaring “irregularities” raised by party member Annette Ferguson at the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) October 2 Georgetown District Elections.
Frustrated over the conduct of the party’s Georgetown District Elections which she contested, Ferguson had written to the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PNC/R expressing her concerns over alleged irregularities which were observed before and during the polls.
Attempts by the Guyana Chronicle on Monday to contact Ferguson for an update on the matter proved futile.
However, several members of the party noted that they would not be commenting on whether or not any official response was ever sent to Ferguson, or if any of the list of irregularities she outlined were ever addressed.
“I wouldn’t wish to comment on those matters, they are party matters and they will be treated with and dealt with internally. I have no response,” said party member Roysdale Forde.
Ferguson in her missive to the CEC, which was published in some sections of the media, named Forde as being among the party members who were disenfranchised at the elections after he was not allowed to vote, despite being registered to do so.
The Georgetown District is the PNC/R’s largest support base.
Another party member, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle on the condition of anonymity, said if the matter was addressed, it would have been done during the party’s last CEC meeting on October 19.
“All I know is that Annette Ferguson made some complaints and I’m not sure what direction the party took with it due to my absence at the last CEC meeting,” the party member said.
In her letter, Ferguson is said to have complained that prior to the day of the election, candidates did not receive important information regarding the number of delegates registered, the amount of ballots printed and how the actual voting would be done.
On the elections day, the irregularities reportedly included unregistered persons voting, while a number of registered persons were prevented from voting, and ballots not being counted and verified in the presence of candidates.
Ferguson implored her party to examine those “irregularities” through a thorough internal probe, and to strive and develop a better internal system to manage future elections, since there was a “glaring absence” of checks and balances at the recent district polls.
Ferguson pointed to the fact that the final ballot count of 213 votes exceeded the 211 votes that were cast. According to reports in the media, Ferguson lost the election to Troy Garraway after receiving 87 votes to the 121 votes for Garraway. Five spoilt ballots were recorded, according to reports.
In previous comments, PNC/R Leader Aubrey Norton had endorsed the polls as “free and fair,” dismissing the irregularities as being of no concern. He endorsed the elections.
“I want to say this to you. The elections that were held there were free and fair. There were some contention that when the numbers [votes] added up it [ballots] had exceeded [the votes] by two. Now in the particular election the gap was more than 75, so I don’t know that materially could’ve affected the elections results,” Norton had declared.
Aside from dismissing the inconsistency in the ballot numbers, Norton did not address any of the other discrepancies that Ferguson outlined in her letter.
The PNC/R is known for rigging the results of national elections, with the latest accusation being the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Guyanese, after casting their votes on March 2, 2020, had to endure a five-month wait for the results of the General and Regional Elections, as they witnessed what was described as the most transparent attempt at election rigging on behalf of the APNU+AFC coalition.
