OAS Urges Transition Of Governance In Guyana As CARICOM Report Calls For “Political Audit” Of GECOM

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. June 16, 2020: The Organization of American States, (OAS), has called on the current administration of Guyana to begin the process of transition, which will allow the legitimately elected government to take its place.

The OAS notes that there is no reason not to support the results of the recount process, citing the report of the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission himself that makes it clear that the opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic, (PPP/C), has won the favor of the majority of Guyana’s eligible voters.

“Their will must be respected,” the OAS said in its statement Monday, adding that the CARICOM team of scrutineers in their own report, noted that the results of the recount were transparent and credible, and nothing prevents the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission from now declaring the election, based on these results.

“Elections are held to determine the will of the people and once the people’s wishes are clearly stated they must be upheld – not only in instances where they favor the incumbent,” the statement added.

It came as the three-member team of Caribbean Community, (CARICOM) scrutineers, Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies, (UWI), John Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, recommended that the next government conducts a “political audit” of the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM), and a fresh registration of all voters.

A political audit of GECOM (its successes and failing and the factors contributing to this) both the commission and its administrative arm, is urgently warranted,” said the team in its report presented to CARICOM Chair and Barbados PM Mia Mottley and the Chair of the GECOM, Retired Judge Claudette Singh according to Demerara Waves.

The team cited the need for an immediate audit because “in a very real sense, GECOM betrayed its obligations to behave impartially and independently.”

The seven-member Guyana Elections Commission consists of three represents from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/Civic) and the People’s National Congress Reform-led coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

The report made it clear that the recount showed that the results reflected the will of the more than 460,000 people at the general elections held three months ago.

“Overall, while we acknowledge that there were some defects in the recount of the March 2, 2020 votes cast for the general and regional elections in Guyana, the Team did not witness anything which would render the recount and by extension the casting of the ballot  on March 2 so grievously deficient procedurally or technically (despite some irregularities) or sufficiently deficient to have thwarted the will of the people and consequently preventing the election results and its declaration by GECOM from from reflecting the will of the voters,” Demerara Waves quoted the team as stating.

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