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Dec 06, 2011 News
In sharp contrast with pre-election preparations, the Guyana Elections Commission’s woeful performance in counting less than half-a-million votes has drawn severe criticism from all contending political parties, inducing tension across the society, according to the group – Facing the Future.
Inordinate delays in revealing results led to constant appeals for calm and peace, all played out before Observers gathered from around the world. This performance by GECOM was both embarrassing and provocative, deserving of censure, the group noted.
It stated that the Guyanese population has conducted itself, both in the run-up to elections and when faced with the snail’s pace, ponderous explanations, tedious presentation of results, and lack of decisiveness of GECOM, in an exemplary manner. These things contributed to public frustration, it added.
“Despite its slogan of ‘not compromising efficiency on the altar of expediency’ GECOM compromised efficiency by adopting the least line of resistance to challenges: delaying verification procedures until the Statement of Polls (SoPs) were physically delivered to GECOM offices; acceding to demands for re-count before the preliminary count was completed; and allowing misleading statistics to be projected for a day- and- a half on the State TV channel before correcting them.
The Chairman appears to have seen involvement of Commissioners in scrutinizing and initializing every SoP as compatible with “not compromising efficiency.”
“However, this exercise besides substantially prolonging the process, could also be challenged as an example of ways in which Commissioners usurp the role of technical personnel,” Facing the Future noted.
“Nowhere else in the English-speaking Caribbean do Elections Commissioners involve themselves in this manner. Elections Commissions elsewhere only get involved when issues of fraud or other illegality arise.
“Disputes involving re-counts, for example, are resolved by Returning Officers at the place of poll.”
Facing the Future stated that the question also arises why the request was allowed by one candidate for recounts at multiple stations when the law – as quoted – clearly requires that the person demanding a re-count was present at the first count.
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