DROs refute allegation POs told not to include documents in ballot boxes

DPI, Guyana, Saturday, June 6, 2020

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has reported that it has received a signed statement from a group of Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) in charge of groups of Polling Stations on the East Coast of Demerara refuting allegations that Presiding Officers (POs) were instructed to not include the official documents in the ballot boxes at the close of poll on March 02, 2020.

The release issued by GECOM said the signed statement refutes an article being circulated on social media which emanated from an email sent to GECOM by another DRO, Paul Jaisingh.

The DROs are refuting claims that Clerk to the Region 4 Returning Officer, Carolyn Duncan instructed them to advise the POs to not include the documents in the ballot boxes.

Their statement explains that they were told by Duncan to “make regular checks to all stations ensuring that there was a smooth flow.  And in case of an emergency or any difficulty encountered the DROs were to make contact with her.

It was also noted that the DROs were also instructed to remind the POs to ensure all statutory documents were in the ballot boxes before they were sealed.

In light of this GECOM reminded that in preparation for the hosting of General and Regional Elections this year, all staff were adequately trained in accordance with the legal requirements and procedures to be followed.

The elections body said it is working to ascertain the whereabouts of the documents so that the objections concerning the boxes with missing documents could be resolved quickly.