APNU+AFC supporters protest GECOM H/Q unhindered

Jun 19, 2020 News

– police later threaten charges in press release

Scores of supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition are expected to be charged for breaching the COVID-19 order after they staged protest action in Georgetown yesterday. Protest actions also occurred in Berbice yesterday and in Linden the day before.

Police presence evident as the supporters protest outside the GECOM H/Q.

Although there was heavy police presence, no attempts were witnessed by this newspaper to disburse the protesting crowd gathered near the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Kingston, Georgetown headquarters.
Police in a belated press release said that, “The Guyana Police Force wishes to categorically state that no permission was granted for anyone to flout the COVID-19 Orders.”
The release continued, “Police were able to identify a number of individuals in the gathering and summons are being prepared for charges against them for breach of the National Public Orders Restriction.”
In May, two protestors were arrested and charged for breaching the COVID-19 restrictions after police disbursed a protest action in front of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
But from all indications, the COVID-19 pandemic measures restricting gatherings of more than five did not stop the supporters gathering in their numbers to march and dance yesterday.
They protested the decision of the GECOM Chairman’s decision to order the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, to prepare his final report on the March 2, 2020 elections using the figures from the national recount.
That report would pave the way for Dr. Irfaan Ali to be sworn in as Guyana’s next President.
Figures from the Recount show that the PPP/C has won the March 2, Elections with a grand total of 233,336 votes against the APNU+AFC Coalition’s 217,920 votes.