US State Dept. maintains Gov’t would be illegitimate if Reg 4 votes not verified

The United States Government is adding more pressure on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), noting that any Government which is sworn in on the basis of unverified votes in Region Four will be illegitimate.

The US Government continues to maintain that vote tabulation marred Guyana’s March 2 general and regional elections.

“The people of #Guyana deserve a credible election and transfer of power that reflects their will.

“Vote tabulation irregularities marred #Guyana’s March 2 elections. Our Ambassador and many observers saw flawed tabulation. Irrespective of today’s legal proceedings, any government sworn in on the basis of that result would not be legitimate,” tweeted Ambassador Michael Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

This is the second public pronouncement from Ambassador Kozak following the allegations of electoral fraud at GECOM.

On March 6, he urged that no candidate is sworn in until issues are resolved surrounding the declaration of unverified results for the country’s largest voting district.

“At this juncture, preparations to install officials without resolving the serious issues identified in the vote counting process would create a climate of uncertainty for the citizens of Guyana, Guyana’s international partners, and businesses looking to invest in Guyana,” Ambassador Kozak had said.

Mr Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer for the Region Four Electoral District, on Thursday signed off on a declaration that put the APNU+AFC in the lead to take the seat of government, but the opposition says if verification of the statements of poll are verified, it would show the PPP winning.

The opposition PPP and international and local observers want to see the verification process completed before any declaration of the overall results of the elections are made.