Prime Ministerial Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Mark Phillips, has said that there is need for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to count at least 93 ballot boxes per day in order to meet the proposed 25-day timeline for the completion of the recount of votes cast in the March 2, polls.
“By my calculation, we should be counting somewhere about 93 or more boxes per day…based on what I saw I think it is feasible,” Phillips told reporters encamped in the makeshift media centre outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where the recount is taking place.
Providing an update on the recount exercise, Phillips lauded the progress made to date but lamented that with 25 per cent of the total ballot boxes counted so far, completing the exercise within the 25-day timeline remains questionable.
“As it looks now, it appears that we will go beyond 25 days.”
According to the PPP/C’s PM Candidate, “frankly speaking the position of the PPP is that we should be counting boxes at a faster rate.”
He noted that the party was heartened to see the establishment of two additional stations.
He did, however, note that his party is hoping that in addition to the two counting stations, additional counting stations will be approved.
The additions, he noted, would, of course, be in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines “ensuring that the exercise is conducted in a safe manner adhering to all the new regulations.”
“It is our hope that this recount process will arise as a solution to this over two months’ delay in the final declaration of the General and Regional Elections 2020,” Phillips said.
On Tuesday, GECOM completed a record high 76 ballot boxes. This brings the total number of ballot boxes completed so far to 718, with a remaining 1,621 boxes.
