Tensions flare as Region 4 tabulation moved to GECOM Headquarters

On a day of Court hearings, noisy objections, diplomatic walk-outs and threats of isolation, the Guyana Elections Commission moved the tabulation for the Region Four results to its headquarters in Kingston and tempers flared between reps for two of the parties.

Late this afternoon the process was halted again after a verbal and physical altercation between a representative for ANUG and a representative from the APNU+AFC.

The ANUG candidate was seen shoving the female APNU+AFC rep after they got into a loud argument after he repeatedly shouted at the GECOM officials conducting the exercise.

The process at the GECOM headquarters resumed this afternoon with the tabulation being done by statements of poll. The Elections Commission agreed to have its statements of poll displayed by a projector onto a screen.

The decision to move the process to the GECOM headquarters was as a result of the projector equipment being readily available, according to the GECOM Public Relations Officer.

The Chairperson of the Elections Commission, retired Justice Claudette Singh said the process will continue until completed and if there is a need for a recount of votes, the Commission will be ready for that.

Justice Singh was at the High Court this morning along with GECOM’s Attorneys and the Attorneys for the People’s Progressive Party.

The PPP filed a contempt order but the Chief Justice ordered the parties to mediate and find a solution to the issues being raised.

Once the sides addressed their concerns, they agreed to resume the process by statements of poll and for those statements to visible to everyone.

PPP Attorney and Candidate Anil Nandlall said the Chief Justice has made the issue clear and GECOM needs to follow the direction of the Court.

The tabulation process initially started this morning but loud concerns were raised by the PPP as some of the statements of poll in its possession did not match the ones being read out by the Returning Officer.