Elections Commissioner Sase Gunraj today admitted that he did not have the required tag to proceed to the third floor of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Centre at Ashmin’s Building back in March 2020 when he was reportedly stopped by the then Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers.

During his earlier testimony before the Elections Commission of Inquiry (COI), Mr Gunraj alleged that Ms Myers had blocked him from following the then Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo to the third floor of the Command Centre.

Today, while being cross-examined by Myers’ Attorney Nigel Hughes, he reiterated his earlier contention, but admitted that he did not have the required tag to proceed to the third floor.

“He [Mingo] had proceeded from the first to the second floor presumably to the third floor, because I was behind him and I was prevented from going further by Ms Myers,” Mr Gunraj said.

Questioned whether there were security measures in place restricting access to various sections of the Command Centre, Mr Gunraj responded in the affirmative. Importantly, a tag was required to access the third floor. Mr Gunraj, however, did not have one.

Mr Hughes: “Did you have the tag for the third floor?”

Mr Gunraj: “I did not.”

He told the Commission no tag was required for the second floor, where an office for the Elections Commission was set up, along with a logistics department and other facilities.

Mr Hughes further attempted to question Mr Gunraj on whether Ms Myers had justified her actions when called upon by the Elections Commission to show cause why her services should not be terminated, but the question was not allowed.

 Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha also appeared before the high-level commission today, telling them that weeks before the March 2020 Elections he had repeatedly written the then Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield requesting a number of electoral documents but had encountered several difficulties.

Minister Mustapha was an agent of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

On February 17, 2020 he had also, by way of a letter, notified Mr Lowenfield of Mr Manzoor Nadir’s appointment as the party’s Assistant Elections Agent, and later, of the appointment of Mr Charles Ramson Jr. as the PPP/C’s Counting Agent.     

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