Georgetown: Amid its continued charges that the recent General and Regional Elections were rigged, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has called on Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally to resign. However, Surujbally stated “I am a septuagenarian…I will not resign…I will resign when it pleases me….. “Why they (PPP/C) didn’t call for Gocool Bodhoo – (Former CEO of GECOM) to resign when he gave them 33 seats instead of 32.”
In a statement, the party said prior to the May 11 General and Regional Elections, it raised concerns both publicly and privately with the GECOM Chairman, Commission and Secretariat, the advance assessment teams of the UN, Commonwealth and the Carter Centre, the diplomatic community, and subsequently with the International Observer Missions with regard to the partiality of the GECOM machinery.
According to the PPP, the recruitment of polling staff connected to the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition was known and it consistently raised its concerns publicly months before and during the recruitment and training periods. “Fears were also expressed about the removal of the foreign IT Specialist at a critical time just two weeks before the election and the denial of requests for public disclosures of GECOM Election Day staff. This lack of transparency and willingness to enhance public trust and confidence by GECOM in the face of blatant infiltration of the machinery by known APNU/AFC activists is an indictment.”
The PPP/C said its positions were supported with conclusive evidence that a number of irregularities were carried out on Election Day and the period immediately thereafter, particularly multiple voting, and the creation of fraudulent and fictitious SOP’s, to such an extent, that any government formed on the basis of declared results (without a recount) would not reflect the will of the people of Guyana.
“Our positions remain the same today in the face of the refusal of GECOM to conduct the recount of a close-finish race the PPP/C considers the APNU-AFC Government as de facto coming in on fraudulent elections. These events, not surprising, have contributed to the loss of confidence in the GECOM machinery and more particularly its Chairman, Dr Surujbally. The PPP/C calls for the immediate resignation of Dr Surujbally as Chairman.”
The PPP/C said it has collected and will continue to collect further evidence to file an elections petition. “The PPP/C also condemns the wide scale provocations currently being meted out to its supporters by the APNU/AFC supporters. We are aware of the many acts of the APNU+AFC coalition even at this early stage events of provocation, discrimination, and persecution are taking place. The PPP/C has established a hotline number for the public to call in and report such incidences.”
Furthermore, the party called on the international and diplomatic communities to condemn such acts. “The PPP/C wishes to assure victims of Election Day violence that it will actively pursue compensation for loss of vehicles and property.
The party urges its supporters to remain mobilised for further action and committed to the defence of democracy in Guyana. The PPP/C will continue to update the country on our evolving position.”
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