Western diplomats again urge gov’t to abide by recount results
Envoys from the US, UK, Canada and the European Union (EU) yesterday met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Karen Cummings to reiterate that their missions expects the Government of Guyana to uphold the then pending ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice and that the recount results must be used.
Sources told Stabroek News that Cummings would only say that President David Granger would abide by a decision of the Guyana Elections Commission and would not go into detail to explain.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a release on the meeting last evening.The release said that the Heads met Cummings, to discuss the current political situation in Guyana.
“Various views were expressed by the ABCE representatives as it relates to the electoral process of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections and its accompanying issues. The consensus concern which engendered collective optimism, was the preservation of democracy in Guyana. Minister Cummings assured the forum that the Government of Guyana has always operated in line with the Constitution and Laws of Guyana, and will continue to do so, even as the nation awaits the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
“Minister Cummings thanked the ABCE High Commissioners and Ambassador for their expressed views and underscored His Excellency President David Granger’s call for all to remain calm as the process continues and concludes; that the Government has agreed and remains committed to accept the final electoral result as it is declared in keeping with the Constitution and Laws of Guyana”, the release stated.
The release noted that the final declaration of the election results will be made by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the sole electoral body constitutionally mandated and authorised to do so.
This newspaper understands that the purpose of the meeting was for the Western envoys to reiterate the contents of a release they issued late last month and to send a message to the government that their missions continue to be concerned about the delay of results here and the current political situation.
“The Ambassador of the United States of America, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch, the British High Commissioner, H.E. Greg Quinn, the Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee, and the Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Fernando Ponz-Canto are concerned that 114 days after the 2 March elections the people of Guyana continue to await the declaration of an election result,” that release had stated.
“…We believe election results are long overdue and, in that regard, we applaud the patience and peacefulness displayed by the people of Guyana. Pending the outcome of the appeal to the CCJ, we trust GECOM to meet its constitutional duty to issue a Declaration on the basis of the results of the Recount as confirmed by CARICOM, to ensure the democratic choice of the people is fulfilled,” it added.
The release had emphasised that it was important in the view of the diplomats, “that every vote, cast by every voter, be reflected in that declaration, in order to ensure that the will of the people of Guyana is respected.”
It said that the respect “includes an election declaration of results that mirrors the order and integrity displayed by the people of Guyana, GECOM and party officials, as witnessed by domestic and international observers during the 2 March general and regional elections.”
Noted was President David Granger’s reference, when he had agreed to the CARICOM observer team for the recount, that they were “the most legitimate interlocutor”. The statement said that the recount concluded on 15 June that “nothing we witnessed, warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 elections.”
Yesterday’s unanimous ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice throwing out a Guyana Court of Appeal decision clears the way for the GECOM Chair, Claudette Singh to declare the results of the recount which show the opposition PPP/C winning. Once the GECOM Chair certifies the result it is expected that Granger will concede and PPP/C presidential candidate Irfaan Ali will be sworn in as the new President.