GECOM abandons plan to ban cell-phones at recount centre- PPP

Last Updated on Sunday, 10 May 2020, 13:27 by Denis Chabrol

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Sunday said the administration of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) aborted an overnight plan to ban cellular phones at the 10 workstations where the national recount of votes is taking place.

Party Executive Member, Anil Nandlall said GECOM’s Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers had arranged for ‘No Cell Phone’ signs to be posted up on the workstations’ doors inside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. Myers could not be reached for comment.

He said, however, that after the PPP and several small opposition parties ignored the signs, they were removed. “Fortunately, good sense prevailed and they are now allowing the use of cell phones,” he said.

Other sources inside the Centre earlier Sunday corroborated Nandlall’s account.

Last, week GECOM’S administration warned that anyone caught livestreaming or recording any activity inside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre would be expelled. That was after someone had posted a video of APNU+AFC election official, Carol Joseph and PPP representative, Ganga Persaud in a heated exchange.

Meanwhile, Nandlall again acknowledged that there were irregularities in the March 2, 2020 elections as happens in all countries, like in any other country, but the margin of error was not expected to affect the PPP’S 15,000 vote lead. “What is important is keeping the margin of error to an acceptable level and the error must not affect the output or outcome,” he said.

He restated that the recount shows that the PPP’S Statements of Poll are accurate in contrast to Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo’s declaration. “The numbers on the boxes cannot change,” he said.

The PPP said claims by APNU+AFC representatives that people voted in the names of deceased persons and emigrants must be dealt with in an election petition.