Elections 2020: The next steps

BY: GUYANA TIMES

Now that the elections recount and formal tabulation of those figures have completed, the nation now awaits a speedy declaration by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The next step has already been laid out in the order made by the GECOM pursuant to its powers under Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act No 15/2020, published in the Official Gazette on May 4, 2020, and amended by an addendum published in the Official Gazette on May 29, 2020, which sets out the nature, purpose and procedure of the National Recount of the ballots cast on the March 2, 2020 Regional and National Elections.

Therefore, the next steps based on that gazetted order are:
a) The matrices produced for the 10 electoral districts shall then be transmitted to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), who shall then tabulate the same and submit a report, together with a summary of the observation reports for each district to the Commission, on or before the 13th day of June 2020;
b) Within 3 days of receipt of the report from the CEO, the Commission shall deliberate and then request the CEO to use the data compiled to prepare a report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act and declare the results of the election.

It is expected that the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, will now follow this order as stipulated. His functions are clear based on the order and as such he has no power to inject a personal opinion or make any recommendation or pass any judgement in the preparation of his reports. His duty is, therefore, to summarise the observation report, total the matrices and prepare the final report in a form provided for by Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act.  Lowenfield’s role in the process is quite straightforward and does not provide for him to address or opinionate on issues of unsubstantiated allegations that had marred the recount process by a group not willing to let the will of the Guyanese people be upheld.