The Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, has submitted a draft vote recount plan to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The plan, according to two commissioners, envisages that the recount of the votes cast on March 2, will take some 155 days to be completed.
It has already been five weeks since Guyanese cast their votes for the government of their choice.
Government-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander told media officials, today, that the plan is still under discussion, therefore, no decision has been taken.
He said that Opposition-nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj has requested time to study the document and to “rework” the plan. He said that as a matter of principle, an issue should not be made over something that has not been agreed upon. He reminded that the document is a draft one.
Asked if he thinks that the timeframe is a reasonable one, Alexander refused to say; reiterating that the duration has not been agreed upon. He did, however, say that Lowenfield did not “pick 155 out of the air”; positing that there must be a reason for such a figure to be presented.
“He would have had some basis,” he noted, while maintaining that more discussion is needed on the matter.
Gunraj, when he spoke the media, said that he wished not to give any serious thought to the duration since it is something that is “untenable”.
He committed to reworking the document, and to include his proposals. The commission will meet again tomorrow.
Last week, Lowenfield was asked to provide a framework for the operationalization of a recount of the votes. He requested guidance from GECOM on a number of legal and procedural issues in relation to the process. The commission met on Monday and provided clarity on those issues, paving the way for the CEO to commence his work.
Two weeks ago, Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh decided that there would be a recount of all the regions. She posited that her decision is against the backdrop of Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana which mandates the Commission to “take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution.”
