GECOM says it awaits Court’s decision before further action

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said while it understands the anxiety and frustration of Guyanese awaiting the March 2 elections results, it will not make a decision on the way forward before the completion of ongoing court cases.

See full statement from GECOM below:

25 March 2020, GEORGETOWN – The Guyana Elections Commission has taken note of calls in the public domain by political parties and other stakeholders for the agency to take certain decisions aimed at ensuring the electoral process ends within the shortest possible time.

While the anxiety and frustration of the electorate is understandable, the Commission is cognizant that the matter is sub Judice and therefore awaits the outcome of the legal proceedings currently engaging the attention of the Court to inform its deliberations and next steps.

The Guyana Elections Commission as an autonomous constitutional agency is guided by a legal framework and therefore it is imperative that it abides by the decisions of the Court. In this regard, the Commission reiterates its commitment at ensuring the 2nd March, 2020 General and Regional Elections concludes in a manner that is guided by the Court.

Though it may appear that GECOM is silent and not taking all necessary steps to arrive at a conclusive decision; the fact that injunctions were granted restraining GECOM officials from proceeding with the national recount supervised by Caricom and setting aside or varying the declaration of the Returning Officers of the ten (10) electoral districts and from substituting or replacing the said declaration of the Returning Officers until the hearing and determination of the judicial review; the Commission cannot pronounce on this matter.

In this regard, until these matters are properly ventilated in Court and a decision is given, GECOM is unable to take any further actions.