The We Invest in Nationhood party is complaining that the Guyana Elections Commission has not approved any of the party’s Polling Agents for Elections Day, allegedly over the late submission of names.

In a statement released on Facebook this evening, WIN Candidate, Duarte Hetsberger, explained that on Tuesday, the party received an email from GECOM about the submission of names for polling agents.  He said the party responded on Tuesday and Wednesday, but was later informed that the deadline had been missed. He contends that the notice from GECOM was issued late.

“But what is it stake here is much bigger than a deadline, GECOM itself has been late, and not by one of two days. They have been late in the opening of proxy applications, they were late in the gazetting of polling stations, which by law was due is due 20 days before elections. In some cases, they were late in the notices of poll. So, how can GECOM demand perfection from political parties, when they themselves repeatedly missed their own statutory constitutional deadlines,” Hetsberger questioned.

WIN party officials contend that to deny the party’s presence in polling stations on elections day, is to deny it to oversee the critical voting process and potential issues that could arise.

WIN party member, Natasha Singh, said if the party’s agents cannot oversee the voting and counting process, the party could fall victim to fraud and will reject the results of the elections.

“If GECOM bars out polling agents, they are creating a dangerous gap, one wide enough for dishonesty and fraud to creep in and if that happens, we cannot and will not accept the results of an election process that is hidden from scrutiny. This is not just about the win party, this is about the Guyanese people, every voter WIN, another party or no party at all, has a right to an election process that is credible, reliable, transparent,” Singh-Lewis said.

The party has called on the International Observers to pay attention to the happenings at GECOM, as there are already concerns about the credibility of the entire electoral process.

WIN Candidate, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, said the matter is bigger than deadlines, and represents a frightening pattern that has emerged from GECOM.

“We call on GECOM to not become complicit in vote rigging, and do not undermine the very principles you were sworn to uphold and call on every Guyanese citizen to stand with WIN and democracy and stand for your right for a clean, fair and transparent vote,” Sarabo- Halley said.

The party vows to keep the pressure on GECOM before Monday’s poll.

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