The APNU+AFC coalition has hailed the decision of the Court of Appeal which said total votes cast in an election means total valid votes cast.
Below is the full statement of the coalition
The Court of Appeal has today, in its judgment, confirmed the position of the APNU+AFC Coalition that the determination of a final and credible count as contemplated by Order No. 60 of 2020 does not mean a mere numerical tabulation of votes but an assessment of the credibility of votes as contemplated by Order No. 60 of 2020.
The words “more votes cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana therefore means, without any doubt, “more valid and credible votes cast” within the meaning of Order No. 60 of 2020 and does not mean a mere numerical tabulation of votes but an assessment of the credibility and validity of votes as contemplated by Order No. 60 of 2020.
The APNU+AFC, from the inception of this process maintained that elections cannot be arbitrary and results cannot be based on fraudulent and illegitimate votes. Elections with proven illegitimate and ‘defective’ votes bring into question the credibility of those votes and cannot be foisted upon the people of Guyana. Illegitimate votes, cannot be included in the consideration of ‘valid votes’ to determine a credible outcome.
The recount process clearly proved that tens of thousands of votes cannot be deemed as credible or valid having been affected by instances of fraud, discrepancies and anomalies. There were numerous instances of voter impersonation (dead persons and migrated persons registered as having voted), missing ballots, unstamped ballots, missing poll books, missing oaths of identity and unsigned oaths of identity, more ballots that electors found in ballot boxes among other grave issues.
The judgment of the Court of Appeal vindicates the position of APNU+AFC Coalition which it has maintained throughout. The APNU+AFC Coalition now calls on the Guyana Elections Commission to do its duty and complete its work to ensure that credible results for the March 2nd elections are declared based on the valid votes cast.
