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Guyana's President Ali hints at probe into election fiasco

Published:Saturday | August 8, 2020 | 12:00 AMCMC
President of Guyana, Dr Iirfaan Ali.

(CMC): Guyana's President Dr Irfaan Ali has said a forensic probe will be conducted into the problems surrounding the disputed March 2 regional and general elections that led to him being declared winner of the presidential poll and the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) defeating the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) administration.

“Very importantly, we will pursue the necessary reforms to make our democracy stronger and our electoral process more transparent," Ali said at his inauguration as he announced plans for the forensic probe into the recent polls. He warned that those found culpable would be punished.

Ali was declared head of state last Sunday after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) accepted the report reluctantly filed by Chief Elections Officer Kevin Lowenfield, based on the national recount of votes that had been supervised by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The declaration by GECOM ended 22 weeks of legal action by APNU, which had contended that there had been many irregularities. It has since indicated that it will be filing election petitions contesting the declarations by GECOM that the PPP/C were the victors of the election.

Speaking at the National Cultural Centre, Ali thanked CARICOM, the United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union, as well as the international observers, such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth and the Carter Center for their role in ensuring the preservation of Guyana's democracy.

He made particular reference to former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who led the Commonwealth Observer team, but died on July 27 from heart complications in his homeland.

President Ali described Arthur as “a true friend of Guyana; a man committed to justice and to right…[a] warrior in our cause”, adding he was “one man who put our country before he put himself in his determination that democracy should not die in Guyana, nor should our people be deprived of their political rights”.

Ali said that Arthur is among the names of persons who will “form a lexicon of heroes of our nation”.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the newly elected President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Edmund Hinkson, the special envoy of Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor.

In his address, Ali said Guyana is grateful “CARICOM stood by our side” and has promised that under his leadership, Guyana, a founding member of the 15-member regional integration movement, will play a more significant role in CARICOM.

“The Community defended democracy by scrutinising the national recount of votes of the March 2 regional and general elections. Courageously and professionally, history will forever recall that singular role of regional solidarity," he said. 

"We will play our role in CARICOM by joining our sister states in securing a more equitable place for the small states of the world and for developing countries generally. More particularly, we will raise our voices in chorus with other CARICOM countries to combat the threat of climate change. Under our watch CARICOM will not find Guyana lagging,” he added.

Border dispute with Venezuela

Ali also indicated that the border dispute with Venezuela, which is now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), will continue to be dealt with as a national matter “because it has become for them a strategy of prolonging contention rather than seeking solution".

“Therefore, the PPP/C seeks full support from the former administration, when, as initiated by us, they submitted the Venezuelan contention to the International Court of Justice. We shall not descend the sovereignty of our state, the integrity of our territory of both land and sea is a sacred trust we must defend, and we will do so in collaboration with our partners and allies,” he said.

Despite agreeing to the 1899 tribunal award to settle the border dispute, Venezuela has, in recent times, continued to lay claim to Guyana’s territory, alleging corruption on the part of the 1899 tribunal, which ruled in Guyana’s favour. Venezuela has staked its claims on a deathbed confession of a member of the 1899 tribunal.

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