PSC “appalled” at GECOM CEO’s report, says 2020 election were transparent

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) says it is “appalled” at the report submitted by Guyana Election’s Commission’s (GECOM) Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to the seven-member Commission for deliberation.
Citing that the 2020 Elections were conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, the PSC said that they participated as Accredited Observers to the National Recount of General and Regional Elections 2020 with representatives present at every counting station at the National Recount, as on Elections Day.

“The Private Sector Commission is satisfied that both the election process and Count as well as the Recount were transparent, efficiently organized and diligently executed by the staff and management of GECOM,” the Commission said.

The PSC also said that they are “appalled that the GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer should submit a Report to the Chairman of the Elections Commission that from “the information furnished from the Recount, it cannot be ascertained that the results …meet the standard of fair and credible elections”.

Additionally, the PSC noted “that the Chief Elections Officer in his summation of anomalies listed in the Observer Reports, has acted outside of his authority under the law governing his responsibility to the Commission by submitting an opinion with regards to whether or not “the criteria of impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the constitution and the ROPA” were satisfied or not satisfied.”

“It is the conclusion of the Private Sector Commission that the certified tabulated matrix produced from all 10 electoral districts from the Recount accurately reflects the total valid votes cast for the General and Regional Elections March 2nd, 2020.”

The Private Sector Commission also said that “from observations based on Statements Of Polls published at places of Polls on elections day, that no objections were noticed and agents from the contesting political parties, invariably including the two main parties signed confirming all of the SOPs on elections day indicating their satisfaction with the process and its outcome.”

The Commission concluded that the “anomalies as identified by the Chief Elections Officer are beyond the remit of the High Court, let alone the Chief Elections Officer.”