General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo, today (Friday), lashed out at the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Rtd) Claudette Singh, for voting against a number of measures, which he believes would have ensured a high level of transparency and credibility in the recount process.
During a press conference today, Jagdeo lamented the party’s frustration in relation to the unnecessary delays currently hampering the national recount from commencing and accused the head of the electoral body, Justice Singh, of siding with APNU/AFC Commissioners to further frustrate the process.
He disclosed that ten (10) Resolutions were submitted by PPP Commissioners during the Commission’s meeting today to determine where exactly the Chairperson stood on the various issues as it relates to the expeditious and transparent recount of the votes.
Jagdeo related that his party was very disappointed that when the Resolutions were put to vote, the Chairman generally took a position that was inimical to the process being conducted in an expeditious and transparent manner.
Jagdeo said the Chairman voted against releasing of the Statements of Polls (SoPs) for Region Four to the Commissioners. He explained that in 2011 there was a similar request made by the Coalition APNU/AFC, and this request was granted.
He said the Chairperson also voted against live streaming the recount process, inspite of many other stakeholders calling for same.
The General Secretary further explained that his party had submitted a proposal for the recount to be done in fourteen (14) days, but the Chair agreed instead to have the recount in 25 days and promised to do a further review. This, Jagdeo said would be problematic since the Observers had indicated that they would not be able to come here for more than two weeks.
Jagdeo said the plan therefore is to frustrate the Observers to they would not come to oversee the recount of the votes.
Jagdeo also disclosed that the Chair voted against the removal of certain controversial persons from the recount process even though they were at the centre of the controversial declaration of the Region Four results.
Jagdeo said the nation cannot continue like this as there is evidence that there is a sinister plan to derail the recount of the votes.
He promised to release details in relation to how the Chairman voted for the public to see. (More details later)
