GECOM Chair wants to ensure safety, security of CARICOM team ahead of recount

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (rt’d) Claudette Singh says she wants to ensure the safety and security of the CARICOM observer team before the electoral body sets a date for a recount of all votes cast on March 2, 2020.

The Chairman wants to finalise communication with the CARICOM team and the National COVID-19 Task Force, headed by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo before setting the date.

Justice Singh, the six GECOM Commissioners and Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield along with officials from the National COVID-19 Task Force toured the Arthur Chung Conference Center Monday where the recount is slated to take place in an effort to assess how the 10 recount stations will be positioned.

Following the tour, Justice Singh told reporters that she will leave “no stone unturned” in securing the CARICOM team, noting that the team is “virtually afraid” of contracting the deadly disease.

The Chairman confirmed that the Government has since relaxed the curfew time for the recount to go ahead and the observers will no longer have to be quarantined for two weeks upon arrival here; they will instead be tested in their respective countries before arriving in Guyana.

Justice Singh explained that she decided on the ten workstations for the recount because she cannot guarantee the safety of the team with 20 stations.

When asked how long before the recount starts, Justice Singh said, “not long from now… maybe hours, maybe days.”

She again recommitted to seeing the process through.

“I am doing everything possible. I am the person who spoke about the recount, I am the person who made that commitment and I am going to see it through…I want to see it over.”