RECENT statements by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo that the portfolios of the prime minister and ministers of government cease to exist during an elections period have been shot down by the Attorney General, Basil Williams.

Williams told the Guyana Chronicle that there are provisions made in Article 183 of the Constitution of Guyana regarding the tenure of a minister.

He made reference to sub-heading two of Article 183 in which it is stated that the office of any minister shall become vacant if the holder of that office (a) ceases to be a member of the assembly for any cause other than dissolution of parliament.”

Williams said what is clear from that provision is that the “dissolution of parliament is not a move in which [a minister] ceases to hold his/her portfolio.”

He added that in sub-paragraph three of Article 183, it is noted that there are provisions which indicate that the existence of a minister is tied to the President.

It is stated in that provision that the office of the minister shall become vacant if he/she resigns it by writing under his/her hand addressed to the President and , if the President so directs. Williams said, “All these things are in consonant with what is said in Article 183.”
Recently, a ministerial task force was formed to address the health situation in Guyana regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) and according to Williams, the mere existence of the task-force is an indication that at any point in time, the country cannot function without a government.

Williams deemed the statement by the Leader of the opposition as “erroneous” and “ridiculous” and according to him, even the Caribbean Court of Justice in its rulings of the December 2018 no-confidence motion made reference to the tenure of ministers.
He recalled that the CCJ noted in its judgment that the Cabinet and President would remain in office until elections are held and a new President is sworn in.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-21-2020

– Finance Minister says Gov’t behind on budget

CONTRARY to the message of the Opposition, it is not in the government’s or the country’s best interest for the prolonging of current electoral stalemate as the longer Guyana remains without a budget the worse an effect it will have on the economy.

In an interview with NCN on Thursday, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan said that with no budget in place, only ‘roll-over’ projects and foreign finance projects were being conducted by the government.

The Finance Minister made it clear that, although Guyana’s economy will suffer as it awaits the conclusion of the electoral process, no new projects were being pursued in the government’s interim state.

He explained: “The longer we take to bring a budget is the harder for the government expenditure that helps to stimulate the economy to get in. If we continue to be restricted only to foreign finance projects and roll-over projects, the economy will be starved of new financing in respect of new projects.”

Minister Jordan said that as soon as a new government comes in place and Parliament is called, a Budget and Appropriation Bill can come three months after. However, he highlighted that this still pushes the country into almost a year without a budget.
“We really have to get this problem solved quickly,” he stressed. “Economic activity, which would have slowed as a result of not having a budget, will be slowed further as a result of COVID.”

One of the projects which were on-going without a budget was the US$31M Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue road expansion project.
Jordan said that while some citizens have looked at what countries like Jamaica were doing to fight COVID-19 — those having pledged billions to the cause — persons must realise that those countries are currently facing very different realities from Guyana.

“Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica don’t have our problems. They are not in the state that we are in at the moment. We are limited in terms of what we can do for COVID and without COVID we would have been extremely limited as to what we can do while we wait for a government to get in place,” he said.

The year 2019 marked the country’s biggest budget to date standing at $300.7B. The year 2020 was expected to have an even larger budget as the country stepped into ‘first oil’ and had plans for several major developmental projects.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

Dear Editor,
(a) RESPECT for citizens’ rights to seek redress in the courts of law on any related electoral issue;

(b) A verified recount of all electoral districts as legally permitted under the Constitution, under the supervision of CARICOM in chronological order from one to ten, ACDA expects the African community and our political leadership to accept the results of a recount, and will call on them to do so if necessary;

(c) In keeping with our stated historical position since 1998, we reiterate our demand that whichever party wins, that it forms a government of national unity for an agreed period, with a clear mandate to complete constitutional reform for shared governance with a view to enabling the country to achieve social cohesion and ending the “winner-take-all” governance system.

(d) ACDA is of the view that no one should be elated about sanctions, or the threat of sanctions being imposed on Guyana, since all investments in Guyana will be at risk, and those with the greatest amounts of investment are likely to lose the most.
ACDA reiterates its call for all Guyanese to remain calm and not allow political leaders, activists or detractors to divert our attention from maintaining a unified stance against disruptive behaviour in the common interest of all Guyanese.

Regards,
ACDA STEERING COMMITTEE

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

…Leaders urge swift resolution to elections impasse

LEADERS in Guyana are hoping that, immediately after the judicial review of the most recent interim injunction granted by the High Court, Guyana can return to and complete the process towards a final declaration of the results of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The most recent road blocks include an interim injunction to prevent a national recount on the basis that final declarations were made by the Returning Officer (RO) from all ten Regions and those declarations are final; advice from Guyana’s Chief Parliamentary Counsel against an Order by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the national recount as it would supersede electoral laws and the withdrawal of a high-level CARICOM team as a result.

Expressions of regret that such had taken place have come from President David Granger and Head of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. In an interview with Kaieteur Radio on Wednesday, Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma said that it is unfortunate that after two declarations which confirmed that the coalition had won the overall elections, there was no official overall declaration. He said that the law is clear on the processes which should take place during the tabulation of Statements of Poll (SOPs), recounts and elections petitions but the Opposition is working to “frustrate the process”.

“We have to have an end to this matter,” Sharma stressed. “There must be a government and an opposition.” Minister Sharma reiterated that the APNU+AFC coalition will never interfere in the work of GECOM as the body remains independent and cannot be instructed by the President but must act in accordance to law. He said that while some persons are displeased with the President’s position on the matter, he is simply acting in keeping with his Constitutional powers.

“A lot our supporters are not happy,” he said. “They’re saying ‘why is the president silent in this matter? Why doesn’t he take a position?’ But he cannot take a position because GECOM is independent and also the court is independent, the Constitution guarantees their independence.”

Sharma chastised the Opposition for mimicking parliamentary behaviour at the office of the Region Four Returning Officer (RO) leading to the first breakdown in the process some two weeks ago. In 2017, the Opposition had been accused of “hooliganism in the House” by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo when they protested by holding up placards and shouting throughout the address of President David Granger at the 71st Sitting of the National Assembly.

He also strongly criticized the violent protest of PPP/C supporters which went as far as to injure school children travelling in a David ‘G’ bus. Also weighing in on the matter was Former Foreign Minister, Sir Shridath Ramphal. He said that it was regrettable that despite the agreement between Guyana’s two main political leaders for a recount with the watchful eye of a CARICOM team, the plans were derailed.

“In the darkness of disagreement, CARICOM’s helpful intervention in trying to resolve the general election process at the request of both President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was a ray of light. All Guyana should have welcomed it, as most Guyanese did,” he said.

“It is utterly regrettable that, despite the highest-level agreement between the political leaders of Guyana and five CARICOM heads of government acting for the community, the invited CARICOM team to oversee the recount of the votes has had to withdraw.”
Ramphal said that Guyana is being deprived of regional and international approval and global respect at a time when it matters most. However, he was pleased to note that CARICOM has not “closed the door” on Guyana but remains willing to play the role previously agreed upon. He advised: “What is required now is for all to place the interest of the nation above other narrow considerations that could mar the country’s prospects and retard the strides that the people of Guyana have made collectively. I urge that peace and progress be pursued lawfully and transparently.”

On behalf of the business community, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President, Nicholas Boyer, said, on Thursday, that Guyana looks to the Elections Commission for resolution on the electoral challenges faced. It put the deliverance of this resolution into the hands of GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

Boyer said: “Justice Singh, your job is not enviable and it cannot be easy, given what you inherited. However, as Chairperson of the GECOM, you have one supreme purpose – to deliver credible elections. For this, Justice Singh, the full force of the law is behind you and we at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as spokespeople and representatives of a business community, stand with you and believe that you still can and will do the right thing to honour your sacred role of delivering credible elections.”
Meanwhile, the African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) stated that it respects rights of citizens to seek redress in the courts on any related electoral issue and gave its support for a national recount of the ballots cast on March 2, 2020.

“[We support] a verified recount of all electoral districts as legally permitted under the Constitution, under the supervision of CARICOM in chronological order from one to ten. ACDA expects the African community and our political leadership to accept the results of a recount and will call on them to do so if necessary,” the Association stated in a release yesterday.

While the international community, particularly the United States, has brought Guyana’s attention to possible sanctions if a President is not sworn in under illegitimate circumstances, ACDA stated that it is not deterred by the threats of sanctions from the international community and will support efforts towards a resolution of the elections crisis. Their issue stated: “ACDA is of the view that no one should be elated about sanctions or the threat of sanctions being imposed on Guyana since all investments in Guyana will be at risk and those with the greatest amounts of investment are likely to lose the most.”
The High Court has granted an interim injunction blocking the national recount of ballots that should have started Tuesday evening at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

The Judicial Review of the Fixed Date Application (FDA) will be conducted today, March 20, 2020 at 09:00hrs in the High Court.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

Dear Editor,

THE events taking place in Guyana after the general and regional elections on March 2, 2020 have laid bare the true nature and interests of all the true and self-proclaimed stakeholders in the country’s political process. We have the governing APNU+AFC, the Opposition PPP, foreign powers, ‘observers’, and the little rag-tag outfits whose scream for attention far outweigh any numerical support.

Everything was going fine, and the elections were given a clean bill of health until the Returning Officer of Region Four attempted to make a lawful declaration that would have tilted the balance in favor of APNU+AFC. That is when the grand conspirators went into motion. Suddenly the PPP had different numbers, and the US, Britain, Canada and EU found the process not credible. Their disgusting behaviour was plain for all to see, so I will not rehash those. They kept shifting the goalposts, and will only stop if the PPP is declared the winner. The ABCE countries are clearly working overtime to ensure a PPP victory; it is downright disrespectful to our sovereignty for them to dictate the conduct of our elections, instead of the Constitution and laws of Guyana.

First, they wanted all Statements of Poll to be tabulated, this was done; then they wanted them to be displayed on a projector; this was done. And even after that, they cried foul when the final declaration was made. The EU ‘Observers’ had the nerve to demand to see Statements of Poll, to obviously find a reason to discredit them. The Chief Justice clearly said that the only thing the Returning Officer of Region Four needed to do was either restart the tabulation process or continue from where he left off, using the STATEMENTS OF POLL! THIS WAS DONE in accordance with the laws of Guyana! For foreign powers to attempt to invent a process that they call ‘credible’ goes far beyond normal diplomatic behaviour in a host country.

It was very curious and intriguing that even before the western countries threatened Guyana with sanctions, Jagdeo was able to say that this will be done if President Granger was declared the winner. There was a video on social media that showed ‘observers’ from the Carter Center visiting Freedom House. The foreign ‘observers’ walked out on the counting process before it was completed. If you are there to observe, do you just leave when something does not go your way?

The western powers particularly, the PPP and United States have no moral authority to dictate to Guyana on the credibility of elections. In 1997, the Chairman of the Elections Commission secretly swore in Janet Jagan as President, even while votes were being verified and counted! The Marshall of the High Court served Janet Jagan, and the Chairman of the Commission, with an order to stop the swearing in, and Janet Jagan threw it over her shoulder! Where was the US then? And why were they not threatening sanctions? CARICOM and all the other ‘observers’ robed her and her illegal government with legitimacy. The PNC followed the legal procedure of an election petition, and the election was declared illegal! The United States had the most glaring of elections that lacked credibility. In 2000, the votes in Florida were clearly rigged in George Bush’s favour. Vice-President Al Gore got the Court to order a recount, and as the recount was going clearly in Gore’s favour, the Supreme Court, the majority of which was Republican and politically appointed. voted to stop the count and declare Bush the winner.

President Granger has acted like the true statesman and honest politician he is. He has said repeatedly that GECOM is an independent body, and must be allowed to do its work. He has never interfered with GECOM nor the court processes. The laws of Guyana must be respected and upheld, not twisted in favour of those who have their own interests. Imagine the hue and the cry if President Granger intervened and gave directions to GECOM.

The laws and constitutional institutions of Guyana must be upheld and respected. The other powers and ‘observers’ can go make their countries ‘Banana Republics’! Leave Guyana alone!

Regards,
Jerrick Rutherford

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

– want better security for ballot boxes

SIX political parties, which separately make up the opposition, have jointly and individually applied as respondents to the interim injunction granted by the High Court blocking the national recount of ballots and have amplified their call for the recount.

The hearing is set for today at 09:00hrs and in a joint release on Thursday, Change Guyana (CG); the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C); United Republican Party (URP); A New and United Guyana (ANUG); The New Movement (TNM) and The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) said that they are not in support of same.

“The political parties signed hereto, welcome the call for a recount of Guyana’s General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020 to allow for a declaration by GECOM in keeping with The Representation of the People Act Chapter 1:03 and Election Laws (Amendment) Act 2000,” the parties stated.

“We feel strongly that the injunction is without merit as it seeks to undermine the clear statement made by the Chairperson of GECOM to have a recount of the votes, and the joint agreement signed by President David Granger and Opposition Leader, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo.”
They noted that Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, had previously committed to having a recount done and the international community is looking on and, thus far, is not pleased that this promise has not been fulfilled.

The parties reminded that the global community, including CARICOM; the Organisation of American States (OAS); European Union (EU); Commonwealth Secretariat; Carter Center, US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch; EU Ambassador, Fernando Ponz Cantó; UK High Commissioner, Greg Quinn and Canadian High Commissioner, Lillian Chatterjee have all spoken in favour of a recount.

According to the opposition parties, the threats of sanctions since made by the international community should be taken seriously as the shared belief is that Guyanese deserve elections which are legitimate and based on a democratic process.

The joint release stated: “We strongly support the statement from the US Department of State which emphasised that the people of Guyana deserve a credible election and transfer of power that reflects the will of the people in accordance with the laws of Guyana… the parties call on all citizens of Guyana to remain calm and peaceful as these matters continue to engage the attention of the courts, and as we continue to work with the local and international community to ensure the recounting of the votes cast at Guyana’s General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020.”

Apart from this, the parties also raised concerns about the security of the containers containing ballots. They reported that, at the time of writing of the release, the container with Region Six ballots and the Region Four East Coast ballots were not stored at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

On the two days the recount was expected to begin, ballots had begun to be transported to the chosen location which the commission had agreed held the necessary facilities to display information derived from the recount on large screens.

The parties requested that the issue highlighted be “corrected immediately” stating: “In view of the foregoing, it is of paramount importance that the security of the containers containing the voting ballots be preserved. This is best achieved by all containers being stored at a central location and to permit party scrutineers to be on site and guard against any tampering with the ballot boxes.”

They also called on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to “act professionally to de-escalate ongoing tensions arising from the election process and to perform their duties in the best interest of all Guyanese.”

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

– Minister Sharma repeats

MINISTER within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Jaipaul Sharma, has reiterated that the operations of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are not managed by the government, even as he lauded supporters for remaining calm during this period.
Appearing on Kaieteur Radio’s “election watch” programme, Wednesday evening, Minister Sharma said the coalition government has always had a hands-off approach to the workings of all constitutional bodies and GECOM is no exception.

“The APNU+AFC government will never interfere in the workings of GECOM. You could see this in the action of His Excellency President David Granger when he was asked to remove the appointment of former Chairman Justice James Patterson. This present Chairperson was identified by the leader of the opposition himself,” Sharma stated.

Minister Sharma said what has been clear over the past weeks is the interference of the commission’s work by the political opposition.

“There was an injunction put to prevent the RO from making his declaration of district four. They drowned out his voice. He still made the declaration and then the injunction came. GECOM adhered to the ruling of the Chief Justice and they proceeded with another form of tabulation. They went ahead and used the SOPs and they made a second declaration. They prevented that process from going forward,” Minister Sharma recalled.

None of the declarations made so far by Region Four’s Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, have been accepted by the opposition and several litigations have stalled a final declaration of the results.

The Guyana Elections Commission returns to court on Friday, March 20, to respond to another injunction filed by a private citizen, preventing it from moving ahead with a national recount of votes, as agreed upon between President David Granger and opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo and which would have been overseen by the Caribbean Community.
Minister Sharma said while the opposition has been obstructing the work of GECOM, President Granger has remained silent.

“A lot of supporters are not happy. But he will not take a position because GECOM is independent and so is the court. The constitution guarantees this,” the minister underscored.

In the meantime, supporters remained loyal, Minister Sharma noted. “They kept the peace in the face of extreme provocation.”

He reiterated that the coalition was successful in this year’s polls. (DPI)

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

VETERAN Trade Unionist and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, said the legal proceedings filed by supporters of both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) demonstrate their commitment to operate within the Laws of Guyana and should be respected.

On March 5, 2020, a private citizen, Reeaz Holladar, on behalf of the PPP/C, filed an injunction blocking the declaration of the results for the March 2 General and Regional Elections on the basis that the tabulation process employed by the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, was inconsistent with the Section 84 of Representation of the People Act. Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire, after establishing that the High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case, on March 11, 2020, ruled that Mingo breached Section 84 of the Act when he failed to tabulate the votes for District 4 in the presence of persons entitled to be present, such as party agents and observers. However, the next day (March 12), Holladar filed Contempt of Court proceedings after alleging that Mingo did not adhere to the orders of the court.

During the Contempt of Court proceedings on March 13, the Chief Justice offered greater clarity to her ruling, and the parties involved had agreed to move the process forward. But while Mingo declared the votes for District Four on the night of March 13, the PPP/C again alleged that the process was flawed. By March 14, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) intervened with both President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo agreeing to have a national recount done under the supervision of a high-level CARICOM team, but even as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was preparing for the recount on March 17, it was served with another injunction, this time from an APNU+AFC supporter. The matter will come up today in the High Court.

“This is not for us to be proud of but neither is it a shame. What it demonstrates is a commitment by both parties to operate in a lawful manner since both parties are entitled to their respective cases being heard in a court of law. That of itself is a win for democracy and we must all be proud even as we anxiously await the end,” Lewis said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said when law and order trumps individual, partisan and lobbying interest, Guyana wins. As such he is calling on all parties concerned to respect the right of both parties to exercise all legal means such as injunctions filed on their behalf.
While applauding the efforts of CARICOM to assist Guyana during this process, Lewis opined that CARICOM Chairperson and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, as a member of the legal fraternity, and other CARICOM leaders, would appreciate the legal process being upheld.

“In the process of this legal pursuit which every party is entitled to as a means of adjudicating their grievances, GTUC asks this nation and our political leaders to lend full support to our judiciary in its deliberations,” he urged Guyanese.

He said GTUC has taken note of GECOM’s Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh repeated commitment to execute the electoral process in accordance with the Constitution and the Laws of Guyana. Lewis said it was in keeping with that commitment that GECOM, on Tuesday, in an effort to facilitate a recount in a duly constituted and legal manner sought the advice on the “legal ramifications” from Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles Fung-A-Fatt-S.C. Fung-A-Fatt had advised against issuing an order in favour of the recount.
Such advice, Lewis emphasized, was necessary. He noted too that PPP/C Representative Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall’s push for the recount to be done conflicts with the advice by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.

Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles Fung-A-Fatt-S.C advised that: “The provision that the Order is seeking to make has the effect of amending Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act and would therefore be ex post facto. And that passing the order would be making a retrospective law and that would affect the vested rights of a person under the Representation of the People Act.”

He added: “An Order cannot be made under this provision because any instructions or action that the commission takes must be in compliance with the Act. This provision empowers the commission to act administratively through an interpretation of the law as it now stands and does not empower the commission in a law-making capacity to modify the law”

Lewis said the nation ought to remember that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, sought to implement an administrative solution that could have prevented the current situation when he suggested that parties equip themselves with their Statements of Poll during the tabulation exercise.

Nonetheless, as the High Court prepares to adjudicate over the legal proceedings filed by an APNU+AFC supporter, Lewis said Guyanese should exercise patience. “Sacrificing Guyana’s peace and stability is not a price that any political party should ask our people to pay. It is not a price that any individual should seek to pay given that parties we all represent have access to the Law Courts and peaceful resolution. As a people we must condemn political efforts from any quarter to derail or discredit the judicial system and process to arrive at a resolution,” he said.

He posited that those who proclaim ‘uprightness’ and ‘decency’ should be held to the standards they project. They must respect the laws and call on all parties to follow its mandate. “Anyone seeking extra judicial means whether peaceful or otherwise, to resolve our difference cannot be committed to democratic practices, though they may voice this. People of Guyana let us not be fooled,” Lewis said.

The Veteran Trade Unionist maintained that a fight for democracy is about having the election conducted and concluded within the parameters of the laws.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_20_2020

…urges that peace and progress be pursued lawfully and transparently

GUYANESE Diplomat, Sir Shridath Ramphal, said it is regrettable that the CARICOM team that was here to oversee a recount of the March 2, votes has had to withdraw from the process.

The withdrawal came after a High Court injunction blocked the recount. At 17:30hrs on Tuesday, the team arrived at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s High and Cowan Streets office, where they engaged the commission in a brief meeting. Coming out of the meeting, Commissioner Charles Corbin said: “They have formally indicated to us that, given the developments that have occurred, they are currently in discussion, and it is quite likely that they are going to withdraw tomorrow.” Commissioner Vincent Alexander added: “They have not given up on us; they have withdrawn at this point in time; they have indicated that they are still available if the need arises for an intervention to do so.”

CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, on Saturday, had announced that President David Granger had made a request for CARICOM to field an independent high-level team to supervise a planned national recount of the ballots cast in the elections. This was agreed to by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and the two local leaders signed an Aide Memoire for the agreed recount. However, CARICOM requested that this agreement be followed up with an Order and the same gazetted, but this was advised against by Guyana’s Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles Fung-a-Fat, as doing so would supersede electoral laws and infringe on the rights of electors. This was coupled with an interim injunction and Order granted by the High Court to halt the recount, on the basis that the declarations that have already been made were final, and that GECOM is the only agency authorised to conduct elections. This being the case, the high-level team withdrew themselves from the process. Though conceding that the way ahead is “not quite clear”, Commissioner Alexander said that the commission is expected to appear in court on Friday, March 20, 2020.

Meanwhile, Sir Shridath said in a statement that, “in the darkness of disagreement, CARICOM’s helpful intervention in trying to resolve the general elections process at the request of both president Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, was a ray of light. All of Guyana should have welcomed it, as most Guyanese did. It is a wholly legitimate role of community that must not be smothered under any pretext whatever.”
He added: “It is utterly regrettable that, despite the highest-level agreement between the political leaders of Guyana and five CARICOM heads of government acting for the Community, the invited CARICOM team to oversee the recount of the votes, has had to withdraw. Guyana is being deprived of regional and international approval and the opportunity for global respect at a time when it matters most. CARICOM has not closed the door to proving the preciousness of its familial ties with Guyana; it can still play the role Guyana’s two political leaders agreed it should.

What is required now is for all to place the interest of the nation above other narrow considerations that could mar the country’s prospects; and retard the strides that the people of Guyana have made collectively. I urge that peace and progress be pursued lawfully and transparently.”

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_19_2020

Dear Editor
GUYANESE, as well as the regional and international community, continue to witness the undermining of the process to finalise the results of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections, to allow for a declaration and swearing in of Guyana’s new president – in a transparent and lawful manner.
Within a matter of days, we have had two fraudulent declarations of election results in Region Four by a compromised returning officer, Clairmont Mingo’s, manoeuvres that undercut transparency and credibility in the electoral process and, today, efforts to frustrate and undermine an agreement for a CARICOM supervised recount of votes from the 2020 elections.

The filing of an injunction today (March 17, 2020) to block the agreed recount exposes the duplicity of President David Granger, those around him and those within the APNU+AFC coalition. It was Mr. Granger who called the CARICOM Chair, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, to say he did not want to be sworn in on the basis of disputed election results and requested a high-level CARICOM team to supervise a recount of the ballots. The PPP, although skeptical of his intentions, agreed to this, as a political solution to move our country forward and avoid negative consequences for our nation.

In addition to the delay in signing the aide-memoire, there have been consistent efforts to undermine the CARICOM agreement. The latest episode in this saga is having Ulita Moore, who was an APNU+AFC coalition candidate, file an injunction to stop the recount. Further, the moves by the APNU+AFC coalition to mobilise protesters across the country, with calls for Granger to be sworn in as president, shows the extent to which this cabal would go to destroy our democracy. The truth of the results of the 2020 General and Regional Election results is in the ballot boxes.

This is why the recount, specifically the recount of votes in Region Four , is being resisted. The numbers are clear. In addition to accepted declarations from nine regions, the party has made public all of its Statements of Polls (SOPs) for Region Four. A statement from the Organization of American States (OAS) electoral observer mission said: “The mission has noted that images of the Statements of Poll published by the PPP/Civic, on its website…[they] produce a result that is vastly different from that being declared by the returning officer and would have a decisive effect on the outcome of the national election. To date, neither the chief elections officer nor APNU has challenged the authenticity of the Statements of Poll published by the PPP/Civic by producing the copies in their possession.”

The PPP has also published, online, the tally sheets, signed by presiding officers across Region Four to support its GECOM-issued Statements of Poll. Again, there has been no challenge to these documents. The PPP wishes to underscore that APNU+AFC and its tiny cabal are alone in their misguided, foolhardy and regressive undertaking. The party will continue to fight for our democracy. The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is not alone in this fight. The international community, civil society and dozens of local groups and most of the smaller political parties, as well as the majority of Guyanese, are with us in this fight. We urge all Guyanese, particularly supporters of the PPP, to remain vigilant and calm; do not be provoked and ensure that no action is taken in contradiction with the laws of Guyana; stay at home and await further guidance from the party. There will be a time for a visible expression of disgust.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_19_2020