Lowenfield must produce report as already directed by GECOM Chair – CCJ

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GECOM Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield and Chairperson of GECOM, retired Justice Claudette Singh
GECOM Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield and Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Wednesday ruled that Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, must produce his report as already directed by Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh.

The CCJ also invalidated the recent report submitted by Lowenfield, in which he had discarded over 115,000 votes.

The CCJ ruled that the Lowenfield’s report, incorporating so-called irregularities, is of no consequence.

Moments ago, the CCJ accepted jurisdiction in the case filed by the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo.

Ali and Jagdeo challenged a ruling of Guyana’s Court of Appeal in the case filed by APNU/AFC supporter, Eslyn David.

Justice Singh had written to CEO Lowenfield directing him to prepare a final report based on the results of the National Recount, which lasted for over 30 days at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC).

“Pursuant to Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution and Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, you are hereby requested to prepare and submit your report by 13:00 hrs on June 18th, 2020 using the results of the recount for consideration by the commission,” Singh wrote in her letter to Lowenfield.

The CEO was required to tabulate the 10 Statements of Recount (SORs) certificate to fulfill his constitutional and statutory obligations.

The results, which constitute data generated from the 2,339 Statements of Recount (SORs), show that the PPP/C won the March 2, polls with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes. For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2313; Change Guyana –1953; Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; People’s Republic Party – 889; The Citizen’s Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

All the major international powers have also called on GECOM to use the results of the recount as a basis for its declaration.

 

 

 

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