With the national recount of ballots stalled pending a court hearing tomorrow, six political parties have expressed concerns regarding the placement of containers containing ballot boxes, and the preservation of same.
These parties are: Change Guyana (CG); the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C); the United Republican Party (URP); A New United Guyana (ANUG); The New Movement (TMN); and the Citizenship Initiative (TCI).
The parties said that it is of paramount importance that the security of the containers be preserved. This is best achieved, the parties suggested, by having all stored at a central location and to permit party scrutineers to be on site and guard against any tampering with the ballot boxes.
The parties reported that earlier this evening, the container with Region Six Ballots and the Container with the Region Four – East Coast Ballots, are not stored at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre in Liliendaal, where all the other containers for the other regions and sub-regions are stored.
The parties said that this “irregularity must be corrected immediately”.
Meanwhile, the parties have jointly or individually applied as respondents to the interim ex parte injunction granted by the Honourable Justice Franklin Holder, which is set for hearing at 9:00 AM tomorrow at the High Court.
The injunction stopped the recount process that was agreed to by the incumbent President and Opposition Leader. However, the legal action was taken by a candidate of the party which the incumbent Head of State is Leader. A high-level team fielded by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was expected to overlook that recount, but soon departed.
The global community, including CARICOM; Organization of American States; European Union; Commonwealth Secretariat; Carter Center, and their representatives: such as Caricom Chairperson and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and other Caribbean Prime Ministers; US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch; EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó; UK High Commissioner Greg Quinn, and Canadian High Commissioner Lillian Chatterjee and several reputable Guyanese have spoken out in favour of a recount and/or the need for a democratic transition.
