There was no secret meeting between People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) agents and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’ Information Technology (IT)Department staffers this morning before the commencement of Day Two of the National Recount of votes cast in the March General and Regional Elections.
PPP/C candidate, Dr Frank Anthony debunked statements which suggest that four PPP/C agents were caught in a secret meeting with GECOM’s Information Technology Supervisor and the Deputy IT Supervisor.
The allegation is being circulated by some A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance of Change (APNU+AFC) candidates.
Below is an excerpt:
“When confronted by an APNU+AFC agent who was tipped off about the secret meeting neither the IT Supervisor nor his Deputy could provide an explanation for the meeting. The four PPP agents could also not proffer any reason for the highly improper meeting. The meeting was being held in secret in the tabulation room at the counting centre well before the arrival of other officials. It appeared as though there was a coordinated plan between the two GECOM IT staff members and the PPP agents to arrive early and conduct the secret meeting. It is believed that they were colluding to deliberately tamper with the tabulation process on the computers in the tabulation centre at the time of the announcement of individual ballot box results to reflect the bogus PPP results instead of the authenticated, verified recount figures.”
But Dr Anthony said that there was nothing secret about what transpired. He said that the PPP/C agents, observers and agents of other parties including the APNU+AFC were all standing in the room, when he asked several questions relating to the recount process.
“I don’t know what’s secret about that because every single person who was in the room, could hear me asking the questions, and also, hear the response. And also, there were three APNU+AFC observers, if you like, in the room who heard everything that I said, and the response given. So how is that going to secret. And, there were many other party representatives there,” he said.
