– modalities still being worked out
– police, PPP activists clash

By Lisa Hamilton

THE commencement of the recount of ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections from the ten administrative Regions did not commence as planned on Monday.

Plans began relatively smooth on Monday morning when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) conducted a walkabout at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, along with members of the CARICOM high-level team, to ascertain whether the venue would be suitable for the activity. The media was then made aware that the Commission had made arrangements to have the building fumigated. There was later some confusion on whether this was in light of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or for vector control.

Nonetheless, at around 13:00hrs, Commissioner Sase Gunraj came out of the building to voice his frustration to the media that it was getting late and the ballots to be counted had not yet arrived at the Center. He said that he had received no official communication from the Commission or CARICOM on what was to take place since his last interaction with the media Sunday night.

On Sunday night, he and Commissioner Vincent Alexander had told the media that following the agreement of President David Granger, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo and the CARICOM team, the Commission had successfully crafted a Terms of Reference (TOR) document to guide the way forward.

It was expected that following the walkabout and arrangements for other logistics, the recount would commence at least by mid-day on Monday. However, Gunraj told the media after noon yesterday: “While we’re all concerned about the emergence of this COVID-19 virus and we’re obligated to take precaution, the reality is we have a nation that awaits and I’m not sure what will kill us first, GECOM or the spread of COVID-19.”

At 15:30hrs, GECOM Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, sent out a release stating that all arrangements were in place for the commencement of the national recount but the President, Opposition Leader and CARICOM team first needed to ink an agreement.
“The Guyana Elections Commission has completed all the preparatory arrangements for the commencement of the national recount exercise as agreed to by H.E. President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo with CARICOM. However, while the Commission has considered the request in principle and has approved, a signed agreement between the Leaders and CARICOM is essential in order for the process to be operationalized,” the release stated.

It was some 15 minutes after the receipt of the release that the first container truck holding various ballot boxes for Region Four arrived at the Center escorted by the police. More container trucks arrived at the Center over the period of an hour as well as representatives of several political parties which contested the elections and local observers.

However, more time passed and these individuals were seen sitting and standing near the drive way at the back of the building where the containers were placed. They had no information on when the recount would take place. Soon, it got even darker and, around 18:30hrs, Opposition Executive Anil Nandlall came out to brief the media.

He said that the process was being held up by an aide memoire (a document produced to summarise key findings and important recommendations) needed to be signed between President Granger and the Leader of the Opposition before the recount could begin. Nandall said: “That document was sent since last night and the Leader of the Opposition essentially approved it and it was sent to the President and the President is apparently claiming that he needs legal advice. It’s a one-page document and it essentially captures what the CARICOM statement says so I don’t know what is there to get legal advice on.”

He questioned the basis for the delay stating that the recount of Region Four could take “nearly two weeks”. A short time after reentering the building, Nandlall exited again stating that political representatives were being put out of the center by “riot squads” leaving insufficient security for the ballot boxes.

“All these people here are authorized persons. There is no unauthorized person in that compound,” he said. “Yet we were all told to leave… [we were told] leave or face arrest.”

Benn defies police

It was later explained to the media that Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers had informed those in the building that the center would be closed for the night and no recount would be taking place. Inside the compound of the Center, things escalated when Opposition-nominated Commissioner Robeson Benn refused to leave and took up firm position by lying flat on his back on the floor of the walkway out of the building.
After speaking to Benn sternly and noticing no change, Benn claimed that the police sought to physically remove him from the compound but he held on to the rails. He told the media that he held his position until he was met by PPP/C Executives Dr. Frank Anthony and Priya Manickchand. Eventually, it was decided that at least one representative from each party would remain at the location. Up to press time, containers with ballot boxes for Regions Three and Four were at the location.

“I’m very unhappy at the action of the police force,” Benn said when he was outside the compound. “They ought to be aware of my position as a statutory Commissioner of an independent agency and that by no possibility could they be attempting to physically remove me from the position I was in.”

Benn said during the event he received injuries to his shoulder and might be taking legal action. He also expressed his frustration about the failure on the Commission’s part to restart the recount noting that the planned fumigation mentioned earlier did not take place until 17:30hrs.

“I presume that we will hear from GECOM tomorrow. I think that what is happening and the way it’s communicated to us as Commissioners is highly unprofessional and also very suspect,” he said. “There’ve been hours of delay, hours of delay.” Later, a small crowd of supporters gathered at the front of the conference center but nothing noteworthy unfolded.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_17_2020

THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has commended President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, for finding common ground on a way forward for a national recount of ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections.

The Commission has also lauded CARICOM for its role in overseeing the process and is optimistic that the initiative will bring a conclusion to the current challenges.

“This, the Commission believes, would bring an amicable end to the current political impasse which has resulted in a non-declaration of credible final results even as two weeks have elapsed since Guyanese went to the polls to choose a government of their choice. The decision also demonstrates that meaningful and genuine collaboration across the political aisle is achievable and vital to help resolve inherent differences and challenges,” the ERC said in a Monday release.

Meanwhile, being a Constitutional organ established to promote the elimination of all forms of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, the ERC welcomed the move as having “tremendous potential to heal the current unwelcome and prevailing divide among our people”.

Members of the media have noticed an increase in racial tension especially on social media since the stalemate arose from the contentious Region Four declarations.

The Commission reiterated its call for all Guyanese to act responsibly; to demonstrate tolerance, respect and restraint especially during this period.

It stated: “The Commission takes this opportunity to commend President Granger and Mr. Jagdeo for being able to find common ground to move forward in the best interest of Guyana and Guyanese; CARICOM’s Chairperson, Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, for supporting Guyana during this difficult time, for mediating between our political leaders and for assembling the team supervising the recount and the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission Justice (Rtd) Claudette Singh, for facilitating the process.”

The ERC also took note that the stakeholders involved have pledged to abide by the findings providing the integrity of the ballot boxes is not compromised.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_17_2020

SECRETARY-GENERAL of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, has applauded the joint collaboration of Guyana’s main political leaders and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to conduct a national recount of ballots of the recently concluded General and Regional Elections.

Scotland said, in a release on Monday, that she had initially expressed “deep concern” about the tabulation of Region Four results after it was reported to her by the Commonwealth Observer Group to Guyana that it was not transparently conducted in accordance with the ruling of the Acting Chief Justice.

With President David Granger setting a new course forward by urgently contacting CARICOM to send a high-level team to oversee a national recount agreed to by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, Scotland said that there is hope for a resolution.

“In this regard, I welcome and commend the regional leadership of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at the invitation of President David Granger, to deploy a high-level mission to Guyana, to supervise a recount of the ballots cast in all ten regions of the recently-concluded elections,” the Secretary-General said.

“The leadership of President Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in coming to this agreement on the way forward deserves to be lauded. I also note and welcome the public commitment from Justice Claudette Singh, Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), that she would facilitate the recounting of ballots; and her assurance that GECOM will cooperate fully with the CARICOM Initiative.”

Scotland urged all relevant stakeholders and public officials to do the same and to act in accordance with the “unambiguous judgement” of the Acting Chief Justice.

She stated: “The entire Commonwealth family look to the leaders and the people of Guyana to live up to the lofty aspirations set out in your Constitution, your electoral laws, and the Commonwealth Charter.”

An 11-member Observer Group from the Commonwealth arrived in Guyana on February 23, 2020 to observe pre-election, polling day and post-election activities to ensure that they were in keeping with Guyana’s laws, and its regional and international commitments.
The team was led by Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_17_2020

Dear Editor, 

YOU have to remember that when foreign powers want you to act and think in a crrtain way that would bring justification to an action that they are already planning to make; they must make the person the bate, a villain. Civil war is bloodiest of all wars, because yon are fighting against your own people. 

In every nation there is dissatisfaction and what the CIA does they go i:nto a country and move among the people that are dissatisfied to stimulate a revolt against a leader that they (America) do not like because they want regime change. 

The congress on the United State of America voted to spend a hundred and fifty million dollars to replace the govern­ment in Iran that America did not like. The sent there agent in to work among_ the dissatisfy, so when they had their election and the people 111 Iran rose up, they have legitimate grievances but it way stimulate from the outside because it was America’s policy to destabilize their government. 

In Libya they US spent millions of tax payer’s monies to arm the so called rebels. Mainstre.am media reported that they (Liby­ans) were dissatisfied; the question is what were they dissatisfied about? They have jobs, they have food, and the government used the oil money to build Libya The oil money was also used to dis­cover water under the desert . and brought that water to the surface and brought that water from Benghazi all the way to the border ofTa11Zania. The government imposed farming in the desert, so that they could feed their own people. Billions of dollars were spent on building homes and apartments for tl1eir own people. 

Then it is easy to conclude that something is under this because when the America, Britain and France, three imperials powers wants to destabilize that country. Is it that America was so concern about the blood that way been shed in Libya? When they tum they turned their back when tl1e Israeli defence force bomb the innocent people of Gaza. They were murdered unarmed men, women and children. Where was the US in Rwanda, and in the Congo? The US when into Darfur because oil is there. The Libyans never wanted foreign occupations on the land. Muammaral Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were all deactivated because of their oil resources. 

Here a home in Guyana, I have noticed that the foreign observers have been making public statements in relations to our elections and they have been going about it, in an evidently bras manner which would indicate a particular propensity or favouritism towards one party. Photographic evidence obtained from credible media houses and on social and the electronic media which depicts members from foreign observers’ group, frequent engagement with one political part has given confirmation to this realism. 

ft is important to note t:llat these observers are here as a result of our (the people of Guyana-led by the government) invitation to only observe the electoral process through a independent eye, rath­er than their brawl mg display of bashing the coalition ana on the other hand attempting to circumvent the glairing breaches of PPC. 

In addendum to the foregoing, Guyana is a sovereign nation and these guests/ visitors (foreign observers) and or the diplomatic community do not have any constitutional power or authority what­soever as 1t relates to Guyana and her affairs. I seriously believe that the foreign observers have compromised their little credibility .. 

Guyana is not in a “process” like some other nations. Guyana is a Cooperative Republic and we are more than capable of conducting our own elections. 

It is not the first time that we seen these precipitous actions by foreign observers, as Linden Forbes Sampson Burnhan1 so eloquentlv adumbrated, he said,” …… Enemiesof this country wouJd1ike to see racial division and antagonism continue they will not have that satisfaction … ……… It would appear that, the- would- be destroyers of this country have sought to convinced our Indian citizens that tl1ey have caused fear because of the removal of the former govern­ment. We can assure our lndian citizens, here and now, that rather than cause for fe.ar, they-have much to hope for from the government …. this government , wiII not pursue policies  likely to bring the races into collision. This government will maintain law and order. this government, while in office, will never declare its impotence to see that the lives and property and personal safety of any citizens are protected … ‘ He also stated that,” even though we need assistance we are not going to be the pupil to those who give us assistance …… ….. . to us that is the contradiction of independence …… “America., Britain or Canada must conduct themselves in a proper manner and subscribe to the rule of law while there are here as guests.

Dereplicate  all  that of has the been condemnation happening during Guyana’s elections debacle all of the condemnation seems to be headed one way. Not one single member of the international community or the foreign observers are making reference to what happened in the Berbice area or to PPPC operatives storming GECOM or not one of them is making reference to the PPPC operatives kicking down the chairman’s door.

Look at what the PPPC did to this country. Look at the legacy that they left for the coalition to inherit. The masacar Narco state, TIP, misappropriations of the nations resources and monies, Recism, violation of human rights, gun running and the list goes on. It is a shame for anyone to support such a bunch of thugs, let alone try to force them into government. the law­lessness, and the breakdown I societal moral fiber. 

Never again will the people of Guyana allow a one party to govern this country. We are better together, one people one nation one destiny. Witl1 the coalition, everyone has a say in the national affair. This is what democracy is all about.

I would suggest that our people stand and reject the influence or stimulation of any foreign policy with is arm at creating unrest or attempts to install a  puppet regime which  ultimately gin them control of our oil affluence. 

Regards

Michael Hercules

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

NOTWITHSTANDING a 13.3 per cent increase in the number of eligible voters, overall voter turnout here in Guyana has remained relatively stable, as the 72.5 per cent recorded for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections has proven.
The percentage at reference represents a marginal increase from the 71.3 per cent turnout recorded for the 2015 elections.

What this means in numerical terms is that 479,453 of the 660,998 persons deemed eligible to vote turned up at their respective polling stations on E-Day to cast their ballots. And of the said 479,453 ballots cast for general elections, a total of 5,917 were reportedly rejected for varying reasons, leaving 473, 556 valid votes cast in the 2020 elections.
This is based on results for the general elections, as thus far declared by Returning Officers of the country’s ten administrative regions. Some of the Regions, including the largest voting block, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), are currently undergoing a recount.

Considered a representation of the confidence of a populace in the political process, voters turning out to exercise their franchise is thought to be essential in a functioning democracy.
Notwithstanding the foregoing theory, voter turnout has been considered an issue in the wider Caribbean, where it has been reported that on average, more than one-third of the registered voters in the Region fail to turn up to vote on Election Day.
Over the years, voter turnout in Guyana has faced a steady decline, hitting its lowest in 2006 at 69.3 per cent, when compared to the 72.9 per cent recorded back in 2011.

SIGNIFICANT DECLINE
Nonetheless this still represents a significant decline from the 88.4 per cent and 91.7 per cent turnout recorded in the 1997 and 2001 elections respectively.
At the 2020 elections, voter turnout in the 10 Electoral Districts varied. In the districts, turnout percentages ranged from 76.7 per cent in Region Four, which had the highest number of eligible voters, to as low as 63.8 per cent in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), which also had the lowest number of scheduled voters.

The percentages were calculated as a ratio of total votes cast, and not just valid votes.
In terms of turnover, seven out of the ten voting districts saw an increase in their voter turnout, with Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) being the regions that saw decreases, though marginal.
Notwithstanding these declines, all ten of the regions saw increases in the number of voters that exercised their democratic right, as was expected, given that all of the Regions saw significant increases in respective number of eligible voters.

In 2015, only 583, 445 voters were eligible to vote. That year the interim turnout ranged from 75.8 per cent in Region Five to 62.9 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

HIGHEST TURNOUT
In addition to having the highest turnout in 2020, the Region Four district also had the highest increase in voter turnout. Based on results declared by the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, turnout in the region increased from 72.7 in 2015 to 76.7 per cent this year.

In terms of numbers, this means that 32,832 more voters for this Region went to cast their ballots in 2020 than they did in 2015. The Region had a total 285, 618 electors scheduled to vote this year, an increase of 29,478 from those on the Region’s Official List of Electors (OLE) in 2015.

In 2015, it was Region Five that had recorded the highest interim turnout, with 75.8 per cent of the then 40,177 voters casting their ballot. This year, the voter turnout in that Region dipped to 74.7 per cent, but still placed the Region among those with the highest turnout. Region Five had the second highest turnout behind Region Four. Following close behind were Regions Three at 72.4%; Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) at 70.8%; and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) at 70.1%.

Conversely, Region Six saw the biggest dip in voter turnout, dropping from 68.8 per cent in 2015 to 65.5 per cent this time around. In that Region, the number of voters who turned out only increased by approximately 2,200, notwithstanding the OLE increasing by just over 8000 voters.

Following close behind Regions Eight and Six, the lowest interim turnouts by Region in 2020 were recorded in Regions Seven at 65.5%; and One (Barima-Waini) at 65.8%.
As a result of the changes in amount of voters, naturally, there were increases in votes for both of the country’s two major political parties: The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Both sides recorded their biggest increases in their traditional strongholds, however, there were significant changes in votes accumulated by the smaller parties, which translated to a decreased percentage of votes for both of the two major parties in several regions.

PERFORMANCE BY PARTY
APNU+AFC saw increases in number of votes in all but Region Six, where the party took 1,765 less votes than the 22,103 that it received in 2015. This translated to a decline by 4.1 per cent of the votes for this party in that Region.

As a matter of percentage, the party had its highest increase (2.3%) in Region Nine, however, this translated to just 1297 more votes. Meanwhile, though the party increased its percentage by just one per cent in Region Four, this translated to 22,602 more votes.
For the PPP/C there were increases in the number of votes in all ten of the voting districts. The party’s biggest increase by number of votes came in Region Three, where it received 7,375 more votes than in 2015.

The party’s greatest increase in percentage of voters was in Region 6, where it moved from accumulating 63.9 per cent of the votes in 2015 to 67.2 per cent of the votes in 2020.
Collectively, the small parties, of which there were nine at this year’s elections, saw small but noteworthy increases in number of votes as compared to 2015, particularly in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six, Seven and Eight.

These increases can be attributed to the introduction of several new parties at this year’s elections, particularly the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), headed by Lennox Shuman, who is of Indigenous extract; Change Guyana (CG), headed by hotelier Robert Badal; and A New and United Guyana (ANUG), headed by former PPP/C Executive, Ralph Ramkarran.
Primarily targeting the Indigenous voters, Shuman’s party succeeded in making small but significant voter percentage changes in Regions Four, Seven, and Eight, while CG saw its biggest support in Regions Two, Three, Four, and Six.

Markedly, due to the LJP in Regions Seven and Eight, votes to small parties increased from 2.6 and 1.7 in 2015, to 10.9 and 10.8 respectively in 2020.
In Region Four, while small parties collectively received just 707 votes in 2015, in 2020, the group took 4,137 votes. Leading the list was ANUG, with 1,387 votes, while CG received 919 and LJP received 761.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

– Region 4 recount tops agenda
– GECOM, CARICOM agree on ToR

TODAY, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will begin a recount of all ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections from the 10 administrative regions, having crafted a Terms of Reference (ToR) document which will guide the way forward.

The ToR coincides with the law and meets the satisfaction of the country’s main political leaders. It will see the recount beginning with the contentious Region Four ballots.
The proposed location for this to take place is the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, but the venue will be finalised early today following a site visit for logistical arrangements.

The commission completed the crafting of this ToR around 21:00hrs on Sunday following deliberations with an independent high-level team from CARICOM in the country to oversee the recount.

While the team will take a hands-off approach and will simply observe the process, they assisted on Sunday by meeting with President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo to communicate the position of the leaders on the ToR to the commission to help guide its work.

Both Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander spoke to the media following its completion, explaining the process to come.

They said that there is the possibility that five ballot boxes will be counted at the same time and these will be supervised by the necessary GECOM staff and observed by the high-level team and other stakeholders. It is also likely that recounting will take place for over 12 hours a day.

Gunraj said that the decision to begin with Region Four was suggested by the CARICOM team as it is the “most contentious” and largest populated Region in Guyana.
He also explained that there will be no need for the use of the customary Statements of Poll (SOPs) as the commission will utilise “a document that has all the hallmarks of an SOP,” as they do not have sufficient SOPs from the concluded elections to meet the current need.

Meanwhile, the commissioners said that conference centre is being looked at as the best location as it stands to be secure, comfortable and is equipped with the necessary technology to display information on large screens.

Representatives of all contesting parties and duly accredited observers will be present along with members of the CARICOM team and all ballot boxes will be transported to the agreed-upon recounting location.

While the recount has been welcomed by both sides, questions have been raised about a possible clash with the Representation of the People Act which states that a report on the elections results must be prepared no later than 15 days after the elections.
These 15 days will be up on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

However, Commissioner Gunraj said: “There is provision in the law for an extension of this time and we’re going to make use of that provision.”
Neither of the commissioners could give an average on how long the process could take, but committed to doing their best to putting systems in place which will ensure a smooth process.

Gunraj said: “We appreciate the anxiety that this nation is under and we don’t want to exacerbate that, but instead we want to assuage that anxiety and we believe that getting this process done in a timely and credible manner will assuage that anxiety.”

A CLEAR WAY FORWARD
Prior to agreeing on the ToR, the CARICOM high-level team successfully met with President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters on Sunday morning.

The high-level team is chaired by the former Attorney-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominica, Francine Baron.

It comprises former Minister of Finance of Grenada, Anthony Boatswain; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cynthia Barrow-Giles; Chief Electoral Officer of Barbados, Angela Taylor and Chief Elections Officer of Trinidad and Tobago, Fern Narcis-Scope.

The meeting with the political leaders that morning marked the commencement of discussions on an agreed way forward.
Later on, at 14:00hrs, the full commission met with the CARICOM team and CARICOM Secretariat representatives, including CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.

When the delegation left GECOM’s High and Cowan Streets office, the commission held another meeting to discuss matters further.

Addressing the media subsequently, Commissioner Charles Corbin said that while GECOM was aware that the President and opposition leader had agreed to a recount and that a CARICOM team would be involved, it was awaiting formal communication of the same.

The commission also understood the need for the crafting of a ToR which would ensure that all stakeholders abide by the agreements made by the political leaders and the law.
“The process will remain anchored in GECOM procedures and will be guided by the laws and Constitution of Guyana,” Corbin had assured.

He had explained that it was necessary for the ToR to be very “detailed” as the commission is keen on avoiding a situation whereby there are differing interpretations based on oral understanding on what should take place.

As such, following the afternoon meeting, Ambassador LaRocque left to meet again with the President and the opposition leader to get a precise understanding of their positions on what should be included in the ToR through an Operational Proposal.

“We don’t want to be in a position where this is an agreement which was hammered out by the political leaders and we are left to figure out what [was agreed upon]. It’s better it be settled there then we will incorporate those thoughts into what it is that we will [craft the ToR],” Commissioner Corbin said.

He too had acknowledged that there would be “legislative hoops” that the commission would need cross to proceed with the recount to ensure a smooth process.
Meanwhile, in those earlier remarks, Commissioner Gunraj stated that GECOM has “failed” the nation in providing credible elections results which can withstand scrutiny.
He said it is therefore necessary for the intervention of the CARICOM team.

BASED ON AGREEMENT
Both President Granger and the opposition leader have agreed for a recount of all regions and not just Region Four, where there was much contention.

After the March 2, General and Regional Elections, the tabulation process for Region Four became more and more complicated by the day following the illness of the region’s Returning Officer (RO); the use of a contested spreadsheet by GECOM staff; an injunction barring declaration of the results and, subsequently, a series of other objections.

After a week of legal battles which resulted in the initial declaration by the region’s RO being invalidated, the votes for District Four for the General and Regional Elections were declared again on Friday night, but the opposition for a second time alleged that the electoral process was flawed.

Chair of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley then announced on Saturday that President Granger had made a request for CARICOM to field an independent high-level team to supervise the recounting of the ballots in all regions.
In the interest of transparency and accountability, GECOM Chair Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh has recommitted to having recounts done in light of the concerns raised.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

HE Organisation of American States (OAS) has welcomed the move by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to deploy a high-level mission to Guyana to oversee the recounting of the ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections.

The decision came after President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition agreed to have CARICOM field an independent high-level team to the country to supervise the recount.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the OAS said its Permanent Representative in Guyana Jean Ricot Dormeus will remain engaged with the re-count, and with the overall electoral process. At the end of the electoral process, the OAS said, Dormeus will report to the General Secretariat.

On March 13, 2020, the OAS Observer Mission said in a statement that it had no other option but to withdraw its presence from Guyana.

This was as a result of its observation that the process was being conducted by the Returning Officer (RO) for Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica) to ascertain the results of the elections did not meet the “required standard of fairness and transparency”.
It cautioned that the legitimacy of any government that is installed in these circumstances will be open to question, and that failure to conduct a transparent process would be “a terrible blow to the country’s democracy”.

“The OAS General Secretariat, therefore, welcomes the initiative of the Caribbean Community to deploy a high-level mission to supervise a re-count of the ballots in Region 4, as well as the other regions of Guyana,” the OAS said in a statement on Sunday.
The OAS had deployed an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to the country following a request from the Guyana Government.

It successfully observed the voting of the Disciplined Services and the wider process on Election Day. In a preliminary statement on March 3, 2020, the OAS pointed to an “orderly and well executed voting process.”

However, it was not until the count of Region 4, the country’s most populated Region, that several challenges arose.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

…President asserts GECOM’s sole role in determining recount
…restates commitment to non-interference into commission’s work
…says Caricom team must abide by constitution

THOUGH agreeing to have a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) supervise a recount of the votes cast during the March 2 General and Regional Elections, President David Granger says the proposed initiative must be executed in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana.

In his address to the nation on Sunday, the President said he communicated his position to CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados during a teleconference earlier in the day.

“…the CARICOM Initiative should operate within the legal framework of the Constitution of Guyana, and respect the role of the Elections Commission and the rulings of the Supreme Court. It will not act independently,” President Granger said.
In his communication with the CARICOM Chair, President Granger also indicated that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) should be allowed to craft the Terms of Reference governing its relationship with the CARICOM team.

“The organisational structure which should embody supervisory and technical elements should be determined by the Elections Commission,” the President said.

The CARICOM team arrived here on Saturday on the instruction of PM Mottley, who had secured an agreement from both President Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo for a national recount to be done after the tabulation of votes for Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica) faced a mountain of challenges, and the integrity of the process was questioned. On Sunday, the President recommitted to the proposed initiative placed on the table by CARICOM.

“The Government of Guyana looks forward to ‘a total national recount’ being completed as soon as possible under the auspices of the Elections Commission,” he said.
He explained that the delays in the declaration of the results for the General and Regional Elections, coupled with the statements by the various observer missions, resulted in CARICOM fielding a five-member delegation of Prime Ministers to Guyana on March 11 and 12 to meet with key players in the electoral process.

PM Mottley was accompanied by Prime Ministers Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The high-level CARICOM team comprising former Attorney-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominica, Francine Baron; former Minister of Finance of Grenada Anthony Boatswain; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government of UWI Cynthia Barrow-Giles; Chief Electoral Officer of Barbados Angela Taylor; and Chief Elections Officer of Trinidad and Tobago Fern Narcis-Scope was subsequently dispatched to Guyana following the agreement for a recount.

RULE OF LAW
Iterating his commitment to the rule of law and the Constitution, President Granger said he respects the integrity and autonomous nature of the Elections Commission, and will abide by its declarations and the rulings of the Court. He said that in the absence of such declarations, GECOM must be allowed to do its work as it seeks to bring the electoral process to an end.

The Head of State was keen on noting, however, that the General and Regional Elections were conducted peacefully, and in accordance with the Constitution and Laws of Guyana on March 2, 202, but the events that followed it thereafter marred the excellent work of the Elections Commission.

“Confusion ensued at the Office of the Returning Officer for District Four in the wee hours of Wednesday, March 4, 2020 as a result of an invasion of the premises by political elements. Statements following the events of March 4 by the observer missions also created uncertainty in the minds of the citizenry. The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) so far approached the Supreme Court on three separate occasions to obstruct the work of the Elections Commission,” President Granger summarised.

He said that those actions, coupled with calls for a recount, allowed for the Supreme Court to determine the way forward.

The Head of State also took note of the fact that Chairperson of the Elections Commission Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh has publicly stated that she will abide by the ruling of the Court. “I, too, have said that I will abide by the ruling of the Court,” he iterated, while calling on the public to be patient as the Government complies with the rulings of the Court and the decisions of the Commission.

“I advise you to avoid provocation by certain lawless elements, who committed acts of violence against innocent schoolchildren, nurses and police officers. Guyanese, as we await the conclusion of the electoral process, we must be reminded of the very difficult public health environment occasioned by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),” President Granger said, adding: “I appeal to the public to remain calm, and to implement all the advisories relating to personal hygiene, social distancing, and overall infection prevention and control.”

On Saturday, the GECOM Chair also recommitted to having a recount done, and in keeping with that commitment, summoned the six Elections Commissioners to a meeting to chart the way forward.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

THE government’s inability to pass a 2020 budget has had a domino effect on regional spending, to the point where, three months into the new year, funding at the central and regional levels are very limited. Financial challenges are being trickled down to the common man, particularly those directly dependent on these two tiers of government for a daily bread.

In Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), residents are becoming anxious, and are hoping that the results for the March 2 Elections would soon be announced to pave way for the elected government to prepare the 2020 National Budget.

Anxiety continues to face both small and large-scale contractors who depend on the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for their daily bread. With the RDC not in a position to either tender or award contracts, it is the ordinary man and business owners who depend on contractors to spend their money, and are the ones feeling the squeeze.

One small contractor, who wishes to remain anonymous, told this newspaper that he would have been guaranteed contracts at least by now, contracts he heavily depends on, but that did not happen, and it does not look like it will for another few months, given there has not been a declaration of the winner of the elections as yet. “This is already March; three months into the year, and nothing as yet, because no Budget was read. Now we’re anxiously awaiting the elections, because we know the next thing would have been Budget. But after one thing is another; now we hearing they calling for recount,” he lamented, adding:

“This is what I have been doing for years; it is mentally fatiguing for the entire nation to know who really win these elections, but more so for those whose daily bread depends on this elections.”

While the votes for Region Four were declared on Friday night by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, the declaration of the winner of the elections has been halted, given the call for a national recount by President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and for the process to be supervised by CARICOM.

ROLL-OVER CONTRACTS
Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region 10, Orrin Gordon explained that the RDC has over 40 contracts from 2019 that were rolled over to 2020. The system has catered for these roll-over contracts, and payments for those contractors are guaranteed, but there is no money to tender and award contracts for 2020, and indeed this will have a negative effect on the economy of the region.

“Normally at this time, already you would have had tenders and so forth, and that is not happening because no Budget was read,” Gordon said, adding: “People would have already gotten work because of maintenance and capital projects, because we are already three months into the year.”

With the limited spending available presently, the REO said he has put stringent measures in place to ensure that the RDC does not spend above its means, and that all those providing services presently are paid. “We don’t want to incur costs and not be able to pay. We got to live within our means; we don’t want to owe anyone,” Gordon said. Salaries and other large contracts that were on a recurrent budget, such as security contracts, were not affected by the impasse, he said.

Gordon is hoping that the election hold-up is resolved expeditiously, so that monies can continue to circulate in the region. He expects that Budget 2020 will be read in about three months, after the new government is installed.

Not only has the budget reading affected business in Linden, but the election stalemate, coupled with the coronavirus outbreak as well. There has been a noticeable decline in buying and selling, with persons preferring to stay indoors, and supply trucks not travelling to the mining town as often as before for vendors and business owners to restock.

VERY CONCERNED
Chairman of the Linden Mayor and Town Council Social Committee and Member of the Linden Economic Committee, Lawrence Simon said that he is very concerned about the economic impact the March 2 Elections stalemate is having on Linden and the entire Region 10. He said there has been a greater demand than supply, and some prices have been jacked up, particularly for agricultural produce and pharmaceuticals. “The stymieing and the long delay of the declaration and the swearing-in are having a ripple effect, and with the RDC not having funds to facilitate contracts… Right now we have beautiful weather for roads to be rehabilitated, but this cannot happen, because contracts cannot be awarded,” he said.

The LMTC, Simon said, will see how best it could compliment the RDC, particularly with ‘low-hanging fruits’, to ensure development is not stymied further. Residents are hoping that the situation will soon return to normalcy.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020

Dear Editor,

Please allow me to give my views on the recent happenings in Guyana in relation to our elections.

While I will restrain myself from commenting on the elections themselves, my main focus will be on the aftermath, especially as it relates to the involvement of the Observers and the various envoys.

Watching from the Rupununi, I could not but wonder why this unprecedented action by these supposedly advocating for democracy. That wonder soon grew to suspicion as the events unfolded.

That suspicion led me to do some research on nations that have oil, but have nothing but turmoil. That research confirmed my suspicions. It is those findings that I would like to share with your readership. I know space does not permit me to do a thesis, so I will try and precis the findings to make easy reading.
The more I thought of what was happening in this largely peaceful country of ours, the more a book that I once read kept coming back to me. So I googled it and the preface jumped out at me. That book is “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa,” by Walter Rodney.

Part of the preface said thus: “The phenomenon of neo-colonialism cries out for extensive investigation in order to formulate the strategy and tactics of African Emancipation and Development. … solutions are implicit in a correct historical evaluation.”
Hopefully, the facts and interpretation that follow will make a small contribution towards reinforcing the conclusion that African development is possible only on the basis of a radical break with the international capitalist system, which has been the principal agency of underdevelopment of Africa over the last five centuries.”

Dr. Rodney went on to inform that the book was to be used by Africans who “wish to explore further the nature of their exploitation, rather than satisfy the standard set by our oppressors.”

That this passage is relevant to all so-called Third World countries, is quite an understatement.
What happened at GECOM is a stark reminder that these neo-colonialists will do all in their powers to keep us subjected to their standards. This applies not only to Africans, but to all nations, inclusive of the mighty India.
So, what is my point?

I read further and learnt this:
“In contrast with the surging growth of the countries in our socialist camp and the development taking place, albeit much more slowly in the majority of the capitalist countries, is the unquestionable fact that a large proportion of the so-called underdeveloped countries is in total stagnation, and that in some of them the rate of economic growth is lower than that of their population increase.

These characteristics are not fortuitous (not by chance), they correspond strictly to the nature of the capitalist system in full expansion, which transfers to the dependent countries the most abusive and barefaced forms of exploitation. It must be clearly understood that the only way to solve the question is to eliminate completely the exploitation of dependent countries by developed capitalist countries, with all the consequences that this implies.”
The point is, even though socialism has fallen, these so called champions of democracy are no more than frauds, who are hell bent on taking advantage of smaller countries, to their own benefit. They parade as helpers when all they do is keep countries like Guyana heavily indebted.

The plot thickens. Guyana now has oil and what I am about to reveal will come as a surprise to many who cannot read the game.
In an online magazine, Peace Science Digest, there is an article published on the 8th March, 2016 titled “Fuelling Conflict: The Link Between Oil and Foreign Military Interventions in Civil Wars.”
The author of the article, Patrick Hiller, had this to say:
“90% of the world’s violent conflicts are civil wars. Two thirds of the 150 civil wars from 1945 to 1997 saw foreign intervention by third-party governments or international organisations, often masquerading as advocates for a speedy resolution or humanitarian relief. Many have previously argued that third-party involvement is more likely focussed on encouraging specific political outcomes.”
Didn’t we see that in the display of the so-called advocates of democracy? They were willing to install Irfaan and Jagdeo, irrespective of their credibility issues, knowing fully well that the majority who voted for the coalition would not countenance that. That would have led to certain civil war. While we were fighting each other, the so-called advocates would have descended on us like vultures and consume all of our oil. Guyana would have never recovered and we would have been just as poor at the end of oil as we were before oil. We would have been one heavily indebted country.
There is another dimension to this issue. Hiller went on to state:
“It is also suggested that intervention may take place due to vested interests in specific economic outcomes of the conflict.”
Sounds familiar? Certainly it does.

President Granger has already signalled his intention of making this decade the “The Decade of Development.”
Do you think that is in the interest of the so-called advocates?  Certainly not! That decade will see unprecedented development in Guyana. All aspects of our nation will benefit, especially our youths. We will be able to wipe off some, if not, all of our debts. That does not fall in the scheme of things for the “advocates.”
Walter Rodney had this to say about development:
“Development in human society is a many-sided process. At the level of the individual, it implies increased skills and capacity, greater freedoms, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility and material well-being.”
This would result in citizens living a good life with less dependency on the developed countries, who would then be in danger of losing its grip on us. They cannot countenance that. They have to keep us in a state of eternal dependency.
On the other hand, it is public knowledge that Irfaan and Jagdeo have credibility issues. They are corrupt and were fingered in many ills, inclusive of death squads and drug trafficking.

This kind of character suits the “advocates” since they will dictate what is to happen and when. Irfaan and Jagdeo would have become the most vicious dictators this part of the world would have seen. There would have been no limit to their powers.
The country would have descended into anarchy, civil unrest would have escalated to civil war; and the advocates will then rush in troops to “resolve” the issues. All the while stealing our oil from under our collective noses.
That was the game plan.
We saw it happen before: In Guatemala, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, and other nations around the globe. We must not let Guyana become another statistic.
Hiller also informed us that the common justification of spreading freedom and democracy is used by the oil-dependent nations to intervene in oil-producing nations, when their real motives are to rearrange the political stability or leadership of those countries to their advantage. Hiller believes that this is inherent in U. S. foreign policy.
A summary of Hiller’s article is as follows:
1. Oil-importing countries are 100 times more likely to intervene in civil wars of oil exporting countries;
2. The more oil produced or owned by a country, the higher the likelihood of third party interventions;
3. Oil is a motivating factor for military interventions in civil wars.
The ABCE “advocates firstly had to create the atmosphere to fuel that civil war, and so far has failed.
President Granger has got to go down in history as the greatest President of Guyana ever. He has averted, unto now, the instigation of one of the resource curses associated with oil production. He did that in the face of extreme provocation. His astute leadership has ensured that the Cooperative Republic of Guyana remains intact. Any wrong move would have pushed us over the brink of no return.
The post-election events have demonstrated how fragile our social cohesion can be. It is therefore my recommendations that:
1. The media do more research on this phenomenon for dissemination to their audiences;
2. Politicians who claim that they all love Guyana, should engage their constituents and have in-depth discussions on these issues. This should not be about who will govern an oil-rich Guyana, rather, it should be about how we all can make the oil work for us and our future generations, and not against us. If we are greedy, then we will be playing into the hands of the oil-importing countries, to the detriment of future generations.
3. His Excellency should seek an audience with the U. N. and lay his case there. Let the U. N. know that we are onto the game plan of these countries. This opportunity should also be used to lobby support for the country and its democratic gains;
4. Apart from CARICOM, we should explore the possibility of joining other trading blocs around the world to safeguard our exports and consolidate our democracy.

In this way more persons will have an insight into the true motives of these so-called advocates and they will be better able to see through the scheming. This enlightenment will ensure that the citizens themselves will work to avert the curse we have all heard so much about, and almost witnessed were it not for the visionary leadership of His Excellency.
In closing, it is my firm belief that the conflicts in the oil-producing nations were manufactured by the ABCE countries. We all witnessed their attempts right here in Guyana.
Walter Rodney alerted us to the operations of these neo-colonialists years ago. Let us beware of them. They mean us no good; all of us. It doesn’t matter if you are APNU+AFC or PPP/C. We all will be consumed.
Let us all work together therefore to avert this dreaded curse just as we are working together to fight the coronavirus.
Guyanese, we have demonstrated over and over again that we can unite to overcome, let us do this one more time for Guyana.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-16-2020