May 14, 2020
The US has denied it is overstepping its boundaries in Guyana when it comes to sovereignty.
Appearing as a guest on Elections/COVID-19 Watch, hosted by Senior Journalist, Leonard Gildarie on Kaieteur Radio’s 99.1/99.5 FM yesterday, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch said that had she stayed silent this year and not spoken up, it would “have been the wrong thing to do”.
“I think it is our job to observe and speak up.”
In recent weeks, following the March 2 elections for which a national recount is underway, the foreign envoys, especially from the western countries, have come under fire for their statements.
Ambassador Lynch was one of four foreign envoys who walked out of the Ashmin’s building where the Region Four tabulation ran aground in March.
They later, in a joint statement, warned that Guyana faced the risk of standing isolated if they used tabulations of the results that are not credible.
Lynch said that they would speak up when they see things that may not be going as they should.
“We will continue to do that…not stand idly by.”
The ambassador also pointed out that there were instances of independent and joint statements issued by the US, Britain, Canada and European Union. Some issued after March 2 pointed out what a “terrific” day it was in terms of the casting of ballots.
Throughout it all, there were consistencies in the statements being issued, she said.
According to Lynch, there were other similar statements coming from the CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States, the European Union and the Carter Center which all between them included over 130 countries.
These are in addition to bilateral ones from France, Norway and India.
“I think we are in good company…in that we are all very consistent.”
