PPP demands GECOM provide documents on results

Some six days after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) declared A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) as the winner of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is requesting the final figures of the results.

Leader of the PPP/C Donald Ramotar has sent a letter through his lawyer to Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield requesting “the results in respect to each Ballot Box of the votes cast, both valid and invalid, at those elections” and “a copy of every Statement of Poll that was used in the tabulation of the declared results”.

The letter, dated May 20, was sent by former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Attorney Anil Nandlall and was addressed to Lowenfield.

According to Nandlall, Ramotar wrote the Chief Elelctions Officers on May 18, requesting this information but got no response, hence he sought the intervention of his Attorney.

 “To date, you have failed, omitted and/or refused to comply with my client’s aforesaid requests. In the circumstances, I am instructed to demand, as I hereby do, that you comply with my client’s requests forthwith. I sincerely hope that I do not have to resort to legal proceedings to compel you to do so,” Nandlall said in the legal document.

Following the May 11 polls, it was revealed that the election was a close contest between the two main political parties with the APNU+AFC coalition leading the race.

However, five days after Guyanese cast their ballots, GECOM finally announced that the coalition won the presidency with a 4500 lead over its immediate opponent, the former ruling party.

The announcement was delayed after the PPP/C requested several recounts. The PPP/C had initially made a request for a recount to be done in Regions One, Two and Eight, which was done; but subsequently asked for a recount in sections of all 10 regions, claiming that they were cheated of votes. This request was also denied by GECOM, however, the Commission then agreed to recount 22 ballot boxes from Region Four.

Moments before the swearing in ceremony held at Parliament Buildings on Saturday last, Lowenfield revealed that the final results, which were approved by the Commission. The APNU+AFC coalition picked up a total of 207,200 votes, with the PPP/C running close behind with 202,694 votes for General Elections.

On the other hand, the coalition also led the way in the Regional Elections with a total of 205,001 votes, that is, 2733 more votes than the PPP/C.

Meanwhile, the National Election results for the smaller parties are as follows: The United Force (TUF) party came in third with 1080 votes; while the United Republican Party (UR) secured 432 votes putting them in the fourth spot. The Independent Party (IP) came in fifth with 344 votes; while the National Independent Party (NIP) acquired 262 votes from the National Elections. As it relates to the Regional Elections, TUF secured 1314 votes while the URP got 1283 votes. Additionally, the Healing The National Theocracy Party (HTNTP) manage to acquire 294 and the Organisation for Victory of the People’s Party (OVPP) got 418 votes.

Based on these figures, the winning party secured 33 seats in the National Assembly while the PPP/C acquired a total of 32 seats, putting the former ruling party on the Opposite side of the House in more than 20 years.