Georgetown: De Facto President, David Granger has once again contradicted himself as with the latest press statement from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition on Wednesday outlined that he will not be accepting any declaration based on the figures derived from the National Recount.
A hypocritical and significant departure from prior statements and commitments made by Granger.
“We maintain the Elections Commission can only make a ‘declaration’ based on valid votes. The recount process which was conducted, painstakingly, for thirty-three days revealed massive irregularities and extensive fraud which cannot be foisted on the Guyanese people to contrive an outcome that betrays the will of the electorate,” the press statement noted.
Granger’s recent position stands not only in direct conflict with international consensus on the credibility and validity of the National Recount figures, but also with his previous commitments to stand by what he referred to as the four Cs: the Constitution, the Court, the Commission, and CARICOM.
President Granger in the past has repeatedly stated that he would “abide by the Constitution of Guyana.” The party’s statement in fact says that, “Any attempt to include fraudulent votes in a ‘declaration’ will constitute a violation of the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We maintain that the Elections Commission can only make a ‘declaration’ based on valid votes.”
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had however, in their ruling in the Irfaan Ali vs Eslyn David et al case stated that, “Unless and until an election court decides otherwise, the votes already counted by the recount process as valid votes are incapable of being declared invalid by any person or authority other than the High Court through an election petition.”
What the CCJ also did in their ruling was to overturn the judgment passed by the Appellate Court deeming it invalid and of no effect. As a consequence, the 23rd June report of the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield that was supported by the President and his party that was based on this decision was similarly of no effect. The President’s statement then indirectly supports a departure from the Constitution on this critical issue as decided by the Guyana’s apex court.
However, Granger has always maintained that he would “respect their rulings”; however, despite saying in his statement that the party “as always, remains committed to the judicial process,” he disregarded the ruling made by the Guyana’s apex court in the Eslyn David case.
The Coalition, not satisfied with the judgment passed, filed an application in the High Court to regurgitate the same argument hashed out at the CCJ. The Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George-Wiltshire in her ruling stated clearly that the relief sought by application, Mesinga Jones, an APNU+AFC counting agent was already settled by previous court decisions.
Nonetheless, the party again disregarded the CJ’s ruling and filed an appeal with the Appellate Court. Touching on this, APNU+AFC in their statement said, “The appellant Misenga Jones seeks to set aside or reverse the entire judgment of Chief Justice Roxane George” and added that such an appeal is “lawful, proper and guaranteed under the Constitution, our supreme law.”
The results of the recount, supervised by a high-level CARICOM Scrutineering Team revealed that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) won the March 2 Elections with a more than 15,000 valid vote lead ahead of APNU+AFC.
Instead of conceding to their clear loss, the party continues to argue that the recount merely uncovered mass fraud and irregularities and stated that any result from the process would be tainted and unlawful.
A majority of these allegations were raised by APNU+AFC during the recount process and to date, no evidence of substance has been provided to support them, a point raised in the CARICOM report.
Moreover, the three-member CARICOM Scrutineering Team in their report confirmed the results showing a win for the PPP and while they noted the irregularities brought to the fore by APNU+AFC, they stated that it would not affect the results. That report also received widespread support from a host of stakeholders in the international community.
The Coalition ended their statement, noting that they are “open to dialogue with other political parties and stakeholders on the way forward for our country the APNU+AFC Coalition is prepared to act responsibly to bring a resolution to the ongoing political situation. We remain confident of a credible and legitimate outcome to the elections.”
Below is the statement issued by APNU/AFC:
General and Regional Elections were held on 2nd March 2020 in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The results of those elections had not been declared by Monday 20th July, twenty weeks afterwards.
Delays in the declaration of results were caused, in part, by several appeals which were made during this period – to the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Court of Appeal of Guyana and the Caribbean Court of Justice – to provide interpretations of electoral and other laws and to resolve problems arising from the elections. The people of Guyana await a credible ‘Declaration’ by the Guyana Elections Commission.
A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC Coalition) is committed to a lawful and credible declaration of results based on valid votes. The Coalition has taken note of the ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George on 20th July 2020 in the case of Mesinga Jones v Guyana Elections Commission Chairman et al.
The APNU+AFC Coalition, as always, remains committed to the judicial process. That process is incomplete as it stands and the matter has been appealed in the Guyana Court of Appeal. Such an appeal is lawful, proper and guaranteed under the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, our supreme law. The Coalition will await the outcome of the appeal.
The APNU+AFC Coalition is resolved to ensure that fraudulent votes, cannot be factored in to represent the will of the electorate. Any attempt to include fraudulent votes in a ‘Declaration’ will constitute a violation of the Constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We maintain that the Elections Commission can only make a ‘Declaration’ based on valid votes.
The recount process which was conducted, painstakingly, for thirty-three days revealed massive irregularities and extensive fraud which cannot be foisted on the Guyanese people to contrive an outcome that betrays the will of the electorate.
The APNU+AFC Coalition, in the national interest, and with a view to maintaining stability and peace, remains open to dialogue with other political parties and stakeholders on the way forward for our country. The APNU+AFC Coalition is prepared to act responsibly to bring a resolution to the ongoing political situation.
We implore all Guyanese to remain calm and peaceful as we await a credible and legitimate outcome. End.
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