The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says it will announce a date for the national recount of all votes once the details are finanlised between the CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and the high-level CARICOM team slated to return to Guyana to observe the process.
“The Guyana Elections Commission remains resolute at ensuring the recount exercise commences within the shortest possible time and concludes in an expeditious, credible and transparent manner,” a press release from GECOM on Tuesday noted.
Following the intervention of President David Granger, the national COVID-19 Task Force Chaired by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo reviewed its previous decision of wanting to quarantine the observers for two weeks upon their arrival here and not relaxing the 6pm-6am curfew.
But according to GECOM, President Granger intervened and in his communication to the GECOM, the Prime Minister explained that the reason for the review was based on the President’s insistence that, “nothing should be done, or appears to be done, that could delay the start of the recount process.”
As such, the task force has now provided two options for the CARICOM officials to utilize to ensure they are medically cleared in light of the COVID-19 pandemic before participating in the National Recount:
- That the CARICOM officials identified to participate in the recount of ballots be permitted to undergo WHO-approved PCR COVID-19 tests in their respective home country prior to arrival in Guyana, and they will be permitted entry on the basis that such test results are negative;
- If any official is unable to have such medical test conducted prior to arrival in Guyana, the Ministry of Public Health will have such test done upon arrival in Guyana on condition that the official self-quarantines for a maximum of 48 hours while the test results are being ascertained.
This information has also been communicated to the CARICOM Secretary-General. The recount is slated to commence from 8am to 6pm at the Arthur Chung Conference Center; there will be ten recount stations.
