The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has clarified that it will not be in a position to make an official declaration of the September 1 election results on the night of the elections.
In a press release issued on Monday, GECOM said it was concerned about the inaccurate publication and misrepresentation of comments by some media houses regarding statements made by the Chief Election Officer (CEO). These comments were in response to queries about the earliest time the electorate can expect the declaration of results.
GECOM stated that video recordings show the CEO specifically said that “insofar as a declaration is concerned at the level of GECOM (at the district level), we are earmarked to have declarations done by the night of the day after elections.” However, the Commission noted that sections of the media reported that the declaration would be done on the same night of elections.
GECOM described such reporting as a “clear distortion of fact” that has led to public anxiety and confusion.
The Commission clarified that there are statutory requirements after the conduct of the polls and count which GECOM must follow. These include the tabulation of votes, the simultaneous uploading of Statements of Poll to GECOM’s website, and provisions for political parties to request a recount.
As a result, GECOM reiterated that it will not be able to make an official declaration of the results on the night of the elections, contrary to what has been published by some media houses.
GECOM urged media operatives to ensure accurate reporting, especially in what it described as a politically charged environment. It concluded by stating that it understands the anxiety of the electorate and remains confident in its operations to deliver free, fair, transparent, and credible elections.
