Gov’t urges int’l community to await final declaration of election results

WASHINGTON (CMC):

GUYANA YESTERDAY urged the international community to await the final results of the disputed March 2 regional and general elections, while also criticising the position of the former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding that Georgetown had failed the litmus test of democracy and that there was gloom and doom in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Karen Cummings, addressing a special sitting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on the Guyana elections, said that President David Granger has, on numerous occasions, given an undertaking that he would abide by the decision of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) regarding the polls.

“Guyana is a democratic nation and intends to remain so. Further, there is no breakdown in law and order in Guyana. Guyana continues to remain a peaceful, law-abiding state and throughout this lengthy process, which has been guided by several constitutional provisions, the people of Guyana have remained patient, calm and peaceful.

“The international community should, therefore, also be patient and not seek to influence unduly the constitutional and legal processes which are currently ongoing in Guyana,” Cummings told the OAS meeting.

She said that GECOM cannot announce any winner of the elections “until the litigation process is completed”.

“This delegation wishes to reiterate, and as recognised by the OAS Observer Mission and other international observers, that the general and regional elections on March 2, 2020 were free, fair and orderly and conducted according to the laws of Guyana.”

Developments

But she said after the voting had taken place “there were developments regarding our electoral process which caused an extensive delay in an official declaration of the results”.

She said despite the delay, there is evidence that “Guyana remains governed by the rule of law with full respect for the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary”.

She said that the completion of the electoral process rests “solely in the hands” of GECOM and that Granger “has stated publicly on numerous occasions that he would abide by any declarations that the GECOM chairperson makes in keeping with the laws of Guyana.

“To date, the chairperson of GECOM has not made a declaration on these elections,” she said, reiterating the position adopted by Granger on the matter.

In his report to the OAS Permanent Council, Golding, who headed the OAS Observer mission to the elections, gave what OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro described as “very professional report outlining the various stages taken to ensure the process was free, fair and transparent, and all but indicated that the election was won by the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) over the ruling coalition, a Partnership for National Unity”.