DROs refute PPP/C claims that POs were instructed to leave documents out of ballot boxes

THE discovery of 29 ballot boxes void of crucial statutory documents sparked a response from a Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), who contended that it was the instructions of the Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo to exclude the documents but this, other DROs have said, is far from the truth.

“Please be informed that instructions were given by Miss Carlyn Duncan (Clerk to the Returning Officer Mr. Clairmont Mingo-District # 4) to include only unused, valid and rejected ballots in the ballot boxes,” Deputy Returning Officer, Paul Jaisingh said in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.

Jaisingh was stationed at the Chateau Margot Primary School, where at least four of the 29 ballot boxes came from. The other boxes were submitted from other parts of the East Coast Demerara (ECD) corridor including Ogle, Lusignan, Montrose, LBI, Life Spring Ministries and Chateau Margot Nursery School.

In his letter, Jaisingh alleged that the instruction was communicated to Presiding Officers, who complied. “As a result the other documents were placed in the bag provided,” he contended while noting that the instruction was given on Election Day a few hours before the close of the poll. But the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, upon checking the poll bags as suggested by Jaisingh, came up empty handed.

Jaisingh’s contention has also been rejected by other Deputy Returning Officers, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward said in a statement on Saturday.
“A group of Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) who were responsible for clusters of Polling Stations on the East Coast of Demerara, Region 4 has submitted a signed statement to the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission refuting allegations that the Clerk to the Region 4 Returning Officer, Ms. Carolyn Duncan instructed them to advise the Presiding Officers to not include the official documents in the ballot boxes at the close of poll,” Ward said.

Contrary to the Jaisingh’s statement, the DROs reportedly informed the Elections Commission that they were particularly instructed by Duncan to remind the Presiding Officers to ensure that all statutory documents were in the ballot boxes before they were sealed.

“In this regard, the Guyana Elections Commission wishes to remind the public that in preparation for the conduct of General and Regional Elections 2020, all staff were adequately trained in accordance with the legal requirements and procedures to be followed,” Ward stated.

The DROs reportedly said that they were also advised by Duncan to make regular checks to all stations to ensure a smooth flow of the electoral process. In case of an emergency or any difficulty encountered, DROs were to make contact with Duncan. In light of this development, the Commission, Ward said, is making every effort to ascertain the whereabouts of the documents so that the objections in relation to the boxes with missing documents could be resolved expeditiously.