CEO submits report to GECOM Chairman

DPI, Guyana, Saturday, July 11, 2020

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield today submitted his report to the Elections Commission. The document shows a win for the APNU+AFC coalition at the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

Justice Singh on Thursday wrote the CEO, asking that he present a report by 14:00 hours on Friday, which would then lead to the declaration of a president.

The report was delayed after the CEO sought further guidance and clarifications from the Chairman, in light of the recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In his letter to the Chair, the CEO noted: “Of particular interest is two facts. (1) that the elections laws envisage that “the votes counted and information furnished” would be provided by statutory officers and (2) the allocation of seats is premised on the statutory report of the Returning Officers.”

Lowenfield said the CCJ stated clearly that the “allocation of seats in the National Assembly and the identification of the successful Presidential Candidate is determined on the sole basis of the votes counted and information furnished by Returning Officers (RO) under the ROPA.”

The CEO reminded that the National Recount was not undertaken by the ROs.