Legitimate Gov’t must be sworn in on recount results- Mandela’s ‘Elders Group’

The Elders -a group established by Nelson Mandela to work for peace and human rights –on Tuesday called for the results from the national recount of votes cast on March 2 to be used to swear in “a legitimate Government.”

The group, which has joined foreign powers in Guyana and the international observers for the electoral process to be completed, posted on Twitter, “the will of the people must be respected through the swearing-in of a legitimate Government based on the recount’s results.”

The amended order governing the national recount of all votes cast on March 2, said the Commission will meet and decide whether it should request the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to use the recount data to submit a report to declare the results.

GECOM Commissioners have said it is their understanding that the recount tally will become the final results but GECOM has not clarified this matter while the previous declarations which give the Coalition a victory remain legal.

Meanwhile, The Elders said it also continues to view the situation in Guyana with concern, “especially the recent barring of @CarterCenter observers.”

The Government of Guyana has refused two requests for the Carter Center electoral observer team to return for the ongoing national recount.

The Organisation of American States (OAS) has two electoral observers for the recount while a CARICOM-three member team is acting as scrutineers of the process here.