Leader of the Liberty and Justice (LJP), Lenox Shuman, has expressed concerns over what he terms the “chain of custody” of the Statements of Recount (SoRs), saying that he fears there is a high possibility for persons to alter the figures on the documents even though they carry the signatures of party agents.
Shuman reminded media operatives of what occurred previously where the figures on the Statements of Poll (SoPs) for District Four were altered showing inflated figures in favour of the APNU/AFC, even though the documents carried the signatures of the various party agents.
In explaining the process; Shuman related: “The SoRs will be given to agents of each party present and after that; the CEO has to make photocopies of his and take to Madame Chair, and then one goes up to the tabulation centre. Now that chain of custody in itself concerns us because we have seen what Mr Mingo did at GECOM at the Region 4 office; where what was presented to the public was not reflective of the actual votes that were cast”.
“So the chain of custody from when Mr Lowenfield takes the SoRs and then he takes it to be photocopied, and then he takes it to Madame Chair, there is a lot of room for those numbers to be altered, for the integrity of the SoRs to be compromised,” Shuman said.
Shuman said that persons bent on derailing the electoral process have absolutely no regard for those (parties’) signatures.
“Previously all the parties’ signatures were on, but those numbers were altered. We are afraid that that same thing is going to happen again,” Shuman said.
The LJP leader added that his party had raised these and other concerns to GECOM to be addressed before the recount commenced, but they were not taken on board.
Nevertheless, he noted that his party will remain vigilant and will speak out whenever necessary in order to ensure the recount process is credible.
