GECOM makes the call – Public Security Minister says of final declaration

─urges acceptance of results

DPI, Guyana, Friday, March 6, 2020

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan this evening reminded that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) remains the only constitutional body that can make an official declaration of results in any elections and has urged that all accept the results of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Minister Ramjattan, along with Minister of Public Telecommunication Cathy Hughes and Attorney James Bond spoke with the Trinidad Guardian earlier this evening, providing information on the issues arising from the recently held elections.

On Thursday, the Guyana Elections Commission released the results of the Statements of Poll (SOP’s) for Region four, putting the incumbent government ahead by over 6000 votes of the opposition party.

While there have been some rejections to the result, Minister Ramjattan said GECOM remains the only constitutional body that deals with all electoral matters.

“That spurred a whole set of reactions, I understand from a lot of people including the PPP and they did not want to accept that. They said that they have proof that it was not by that amount that they lost in Region Four,” he said.

According to Minister Ramjattan, the opposition party generally loses Region Four which has some 45 percent of the voting population. He recalled that in the 2015 elections, the Coalition won by 43,000 votes and this year, with an upsurge, more voters turned out, giving the government a win by some 52,000.

He said the law provides for any political party which feels that the numbers are not right in its favour to seek recourse through the courts by way of an elections petition.

Meanwhile, the Public Security Minister condemned the PPP for calling out its supporters in its stronghold to engage in the unrests in some communities across the country.

“I must tell you I am pleading for peace. Violence in this country will take on serious overtones.  And we do not want that. We live happily together, play together and we campaigned in that way. And to see today that they have called out their supporters, it should be condemned,” he stated.

Minister of Public Telecommunication Cathy Hughes also condemned the intrusion of the GECOM’s office during the verification process on Thursday by the opposition along with attempts to break into the office of the GECOM Chair hours later.  She said she was somewhat disappointed particularly with members of the international observer teams who were also present during the chaos.