Dear Editor
The Demerara Waves published story of March 13, 2020, entitled ‘ACDA call on Western Nations to Stop Recolonization, Intervention in Guyana’s Electoral Process’, is a manufactured controversy and is designed to obfuscate from the real issue of electoral fraud in Guyana at this time.
The laws of Guyana, Section 4 (1) and (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act, provide for electoral observer missions. It should be noted that also present in Guyana were the CARICOM, OAS and Commonwealth electoral observer missions, and their stance in the drama that has played out so far in our country is no different from that of the Western Nations.
The tone and content of ACDA’s missive is highly suspect, since they have made accusations about recolonization and have stoked fear among people. We find the statement – “We the African Guyanese reject the dictates of our former colonial power the UK, and its kit and kin the USA, Canada and the EU who seem to think that they have the right to meddle in our electoral process as they see fit, ignore the rule of law and cast aside when they feel like the judgments of the courts” – misplaced, misguided and misconstrued and have no basis in fact. Even the analysis of a novice will find the statement a presumptuous departure from what can be considered as current affairs.
The vast majority of Guyanese, including large sections of the Afro-Guyanese population and, in addition, significant numbers of persons who voted for APNU+AFC, do not accept that any of the electoral observer missions were meddling in Guyana’s election process or were ignoring the rule of law in Guyana. No spin doctoring will change the issue at hand, which remains the defense of democracy, rejecting electoral fraud and standing for principles and international best-practices as it relates to free, fair and credible elections. We reject the interjection of race at this time and to stoke the flames of hatred amongst our people.
It is not just abominable, but it is a shameless excuse for the hijacking of democracy and the imposition of a dictatorship in Guyana. ACDA is shameless in finding a reprehensible excuse, in the face of condemnation from across the world, through the various organizations representing the various regions of the world, not just from the ABCE countries. About 80 international organizations have also condemned what is taking place. That said, far from it, most Guyanese felt assured with the presence of the election observer missions, which have played a positive role in the past ensuring free and fair elections in Guyana, and which they are trying to do now.
ACDA did not find anything wrong with the presence of these same observer missions in 2015. We recall that in 2014 when the former PPP/C government prorogued Parliament, it was APNU and AFC that called on the ABCE countries to sanction the PPP/C Government. ACDA did not think it wrong to call on these countries to sanction the PPP/C Government. When these countries took a position that the former PPP/C government should end the prorogation, ACDA found this a proper action. ACDA did not find those actions as recolonization or interference in Guyana’s affairs. It is clear to us that ACDA is not protecting the interest of the Afro-Guyanese people or that of the Guyanese people.
By no means is ACDA the mouthpiece of all Afro-Guyanese. The PPP/C speaks for all Guyanese, at all levels – given that the PPP/C has support among significant sections of the Afro-Guyanese people and has Afro-Guyanese in its leadership levels.
Regards
Brigadier Mark Phillips
Bishop Juan Edghill
Joseph Hamilton
Odinga Lumumba
Gillian Burton
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-14-2020