Saying that he had never before seen such a transparent attempt to alter the result of an election, the Head of the OAS observer mission to the March 2 polls in Guyana, Bruce Golding, today told the OAS Permanent Council that the recount has shown clear examples of the inflation of APNU+AFC figures by the District Four Returning Officer and a reduction of numbers for the opposition PPP/C.
Speaking at a virtual regular meeting today to present the preliminary report of the observer mission, the former Jamaican Prime Minister cited specific ballot box numbers to demonstrate the fixing of numbers by the District Four Returning Officer (RO) who he did not name.
Citing District Four ballot box #40062, Golding told the council that the Statement of Poll (SoP) completed on the night of March 2 showed 182 votes for APNU+AFC and 43 for the PPP/C. The District Four RO’s figure from a spreadsheet of unknown origin showed 292 votes for APNU+AFC and 33 for the PPP/C. Golding said that the Statement of Recount (SoR) from the process now underway shows 182 votes for APNU+AFC and 43 for the PPP/C – identical to the SoP but vastly different from the figures of the RO, Clairmont Mingo.
Golding said that in box #40063, according to the SoP, APNU+AFC got 15 votes and the PPP/C, 276. In Mingo’s spreadsheet, APNU+AFC got 85 votes and the PPP/C, 246 votes. The SoR shows 15 for APNU+AFC and 276 for the PPP/C – identical to the SoP.
Golding, whose mission withdrew in protest over the District Four tabulation, said that in the District Four box #40064, the SoP has APNU+AFC at 70 votes and the PPP/C at 93 while the Mingo spreadsheet has APNU+AFC at 170 and the PPP/C at 73. The SoR has the figures at 71 for APNU+AFC and 96 after the addition of four rejected ballots. Golding emphasised that the APNU+AFC figure had been inflated by a 100 in the spreadsheet.
In box #40079, Golding told the meeting, which included Guyana’s Ambassador Riyad Insanally, that APNU+AFC had 86 votes while the PPP/C had 84. The Mingo spreadsheet has 140 votes for APNU+AFC and 64 votes for the PPP/C. The SoR has 86 for APNU+AFC and 84 for the PPP/C – identical to the SoP.
At this point, he emphasised again that he had never before seen such a transparent attempt to alter an election result. He had earlier said it would have taken an “extraordinarily courageous mind” to present fictitious figures in the circumstances.
With Organisation of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro among the listeners, Golding traced the entire process. He noted that the process of March 2 had been smooth and the problems arose only at the tabulation of District 4 when there were repeated interruptions due to the unavailability of electoral workers and disruptions because of the presentation of numbers that did not accord with those of party agents. He said that the District Four officer departed from the traditional use of the SoPs and introduced a spreadsheet of “unknown origin”.
Further, he said the RO made a final declaration for District Four on March 5 even though the process was at a standstill.
“Of significance,” he said, was the fact that the declaration bore the signature of the chair of the PNCR, the main component in APNU+AFC when only the signature of the Chief Election Officer was to be present. He did not identify the PNCR official. The signature of PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence on the declaration has already been a source of controversy.
Golding also pointed out that despite being admonished by Chief Justice Roxanne George to utilise SoPs, the District Four RO continued using the spreadsheet and made a second declaration.
The former Jamaica PM cited the delays in the current recount process being caused by various objections and also noted that the Carter Center team had not yet been permitted to return to observe the process.
In response to Golding’s presentation Insanally stuck to the line taken by President David Granger that he has not interfered with the work of GECOM, respects court rulings and will abide by the declaration of the final result.
Insanally added that Guyana is a democratic state and intends to remain so.
