Georgetown: After being accused of rigging the March 2nd, 2020 elections and international threats of sanctions if a President is sworn in based on those results, the APNU+AFC Coalition on Thursday denied that it was involved in elections fraud and again claimed victory.
Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon even said at the press conference that he wants the President to be sworn in quickly.
The High Court had ruled that the original tabulation process for District Four had breached the law and the process has been condemned by six political parties, local and international observers as being fraudulent.
The High Court had ordered the Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to use the original Statements of Poll from the Region to add up the votes cast for each party and to display those Statements so party agents and others could see them.
But this did not take place on March 14, party agents had noted when the declaration was made.
While the full Commission of GECOM, which includes the Coalition’s three Commissioners agreed to a recount, one of the Coalition’s candidates went to the court to block it.
High Court Judge Franklyn Holder is expected to rule Friday on whether the High Court has the powers to take up the case.
“We believe that we have won these elections – we believe that the figures that are there since the 14 of March and therefore if it is that this is what will avert any serious sanctions and so on, I am sure that the President and the parties that comprise the APNU+AFC will be prepared to look at that [recount/elections petition] carefully and to give some consideration to it,” Harmon told reporters.
He dismissed allegations of electoral fraud. “Fraud is not a political term, it is a legal concept which requires specific averments that speaks to fraud. You have to detail the particulars of fraud. As far as I am aware, there is not a finger that has been lifted to say that the APNU+AFC was involved in any fraud,” Harmon insisted.
Meanwhile, hours after the press conference, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Bharrat Jagdeo noted that even if the High Court rules in favour of blocking the national recount, this will not change the concerns raised about the fraudulent results.
“The court case for example, if it doesn’t allow a recount, that doesn’t change the results, the results will still be fraudulent results,” Jagdeo said.
He added that “a President sworn in on the basis of those results will still be illegitimate. So the court case if it goes that way, does not resolve the issue before us which is the fraudulent results that were announced.”
Jagdeo reiterated that if David Granger is sworn in as President, the PPP will heighten calls for international sanctions against the Government.
“We will seek the toughest sanctions on these individuals and families and they will not be able to survive, they will not be able to run this country…they will not get the oil money.”
Jagdeo said he is cognizant that sanctions will have an impact on every citizen but he said the aim is to “make them (in Government) see the folly of their ways.”
An injunction was filed in the High Court by APNU+AFC Candidate Ulita Moore on March 18 to block a national recount initiated by her party leader, President David Granger and agreed to by Jagdeo and CARICOM.
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