APNU+AFC demands GECOM address issue of unstamped ballots

APNU+AFC Executive, Joe Harmon said the current recount that is ongoing has pointed to cases of fraud and the Coalition wants the Elections Commission to present answers.

APNU+AFC demands GECOM address issue of unstamped ballots

Still confident that it won the 2nd March Elections, the APNU+AFC coalition today called on the Guyana Elections Commission to address the issue of the large number of ballots that did not carry the six digit stamp that should have been place on them by the Presiding Officers.

APNU+AFC Executive, Joe Harmon said the current recount that is ongoing has pointed to cases of fraud and the Coalition wants the Elections Commission to present answers.

In a recorded statement, Mr. Harmon made specific reference to ballots from the Disciplined Services which should have been stamped while being intermixed with the other votes, but many were not.

“These Disciplined Services ballots are not stamped at the time of voting but are placed in envelopes and sent to the Returning officers who would then assign these ballots to an intermixing station. When the ballots go there, the six-digit stamp is placed on them and then counted. Our agents have reported several instances of these ballots not being stamped and deemed invalid. There is unmistakable evidence of an effort to deem these ballots invalid because it was clear that the overwhelming support of the Disciplined Services was for APNU+AFC. GECOM is still to resolve this matter and we are demanding that the issue be resolved. Our Disciplined Services vote must be counted”, Mr. Harmon said.

File Photo: APNU+AFC Executive Joe Harmon

Harmon said there have been several anomalies uncovered during the recount which have raised questions about the credibility of the elections. Many of the issues, Mr. Harmon said, cannot be dismissed or treated as just mistakes.

“The discovery of wrong lists in ballot boxes at a polling station at Diamond is a hijacking of your votes and the discovery of ballots printed for one Region discovered in a box in Region 4. Each region has a specific colour coded ballot paper and ballots for Regions 2 and 5 were found in a box in Region 4, this cannot be a mistake”, Harmon contended.

He said GECOM cannot ignore the issues and remain silent on them. Harmon said the recount is expected to uncover additional issues as it goes along.

According to Harmon, “we expect to uncover more instances of fraud by the end of this process. Make no mistake, the APNU=AFC coalition has been and remains confident that we were successful at the polls. We however must stay focused on the validity of each vote that gives credibility to the process. We cannot allow electoral fraud by the PPP to prevail over our democratic process”.

The recount of votes is now continuing for Regions 3,4, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The recount has been completed for Regions 1,2 and 5.

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