Lowenfield defends promotion of IT staff in flash drive scandal as recount supervisor

The country’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, has defended the promotion of IT staff Enrique Livan to perform the duties of a supervisor at one of the recount stations for District Four despite questions over his involvement in one of the scandals that saw the collapse of the legal system for the tabulation of the vote count in that very district.

“Mr. Livan continues conduct himself and execute his functions in a diligent and professional manner,” the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM, headed by Mr Lowenfield, stated Wednesday.

The same Secretariat noted that on the morning of 5 th March 2020, Mr. Livan was tabulating votes cast for lists of candidates for District 4 when counting agents accused him of stealing a laptop and flash drive and demanded to see the information therein.

The Chief Election Officer was called in after accusations and assaults were meted out to Mr. Livan, the Secretariat noted.  The Guyana Police Force was also called in and “appeared to deal with the alleged theft,” The GECOM Secretariat noted.

Lowenfield said that as a staffer, Mr. Livan could not be accused of theft of GECOM’s equipment and he also facilitated a verification of the information on the computer and flash drive.

The GECOM Secretariat stated that Livan, a permanent staff of GECOM has been a team member for National Recount of District Four from 6 May 2020.

All workstation staff are on rotation, as such Mr. Livan was assigned as supervisor of a recount workstation for District 4, the GECOM Secretariat stated.

However, when the issue first arose, GECOM did not indicate that Livan was part of workstation staff or that he was on rotation. Reporters were told Monday that Mr Livan was promoted to be a supervisor because one of the supervisors had taken a week off to go to Moruca.