This article was first published on the 11th of June, 2020 by Patrick Carpen.
Last updated: June 11, 2020 at 23:09 pm
The Political Battle for Guyana’s Incoming Oil Wealth Continues…
In Guyana, South America, the leader of the APNU/AFC coalition government, Mr. David Granger, has lost the March 2, 2020 elections but is refusing to step down and concede defeat. But this is not the first time this is happening. In December, 2018, the APNU/AFC coalition, which came to power in May 2015, fell by a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition PPP/C.
When the no confidence motion was called, the then APNU/AFC government had occupied 33 seats while the main opposition PPP/C had occupied 32 seats in parliament. For the no confidence motion to successfully topple the government, one of their own Members of Parliament had to cross the floor and vote against his or her own government. At first, the APNU/AFC coalition government seemed confident that this wouldn’t happen, but it did. A member of parliament from the AFC faction of the coalition voted against his own government sending parliament into uproar and toppling the government.
According to the constitution of Guyana, in the event of falling by a no-confident motion, the government is supposed to assume caretaker status and call elections within three months. However, the David Granger coalition refused to do that, instead holding on to power illegally for the next 15 months while continuing expending funds from the treasury as per normal.
After much protests and court cases by the opposition, the APNU/AFC finally named the date of the elections for March 2, 2020. It was reported by international observers that the registration process, preparation and actual elections day operations were smooth, well managed and free and fair. The tabulation of votes for 9 out of 10 districts were also free and fair. However, in the largest district, Region 4, the Returning Officer, Mr. Clairmont Mingo, attempted to alter the figures in favor of the APNU/AFC government using a spreadsheet.
His treacherous actions were detected and the GECOM office went up in protests with all local and international observers denouncing his acts as fraudulent. Nevertheless, the elections officer attempted to declare the APNU/AFC the winner using those same falsified figures. This led to greater protests with the Carter Center, US Ambassador, Organization of American States all demanding that the figures on the spreadsheet be verified.
The APNU/AFC supporters were calling once again for the swearing in of Mr. David Granger for a second term when protests broke out by PPP/C supporters all across Guyana. The United States, Canada and the Organization of American States all warned David Granger not to be sworn in based on the falsified results or the country would enter into a state of dictatorship which would warrant international sanctions and also cause Guyana to become isolated from the rest of the world.
David Granger then activated the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defense Force to quell the protests of an unarmed civilian population – in an apparent attempt to implement Martial Law in Guyana. In addition to that, supporters of the APNU/AFC government hurled threats of violence against supporters of the opposition PPP/C. After much protests which left at least 1 civilian dead and many others injured, and a series of court cases by supporters of the APNU/AFC attempting to block a recount of Region 4 votes, the APNU/AFC government finally agreed to have a recount. But this time, they said they did not want just a recount of Region 4 votes, but a recount of all votes in all ten districts across the country.
Everyone, including the international observers were baffled as to why a recount of all ten regions was necessary when the problem only occurred in Region 4. But after much debate, the APNU/AFC officials insisted that if there will be a recount, it must be for all ten regions. The PPP/C and international community conceded and after another lengthy delay, the recount finally started on March 4, 2020.
When the recount began, the leader of the APNU/AFC coalition government, and his supporters, claimed that the recount would prove once again that the APNU/AFC had won, and that the elections officer did not input falsified figures unto the spreadsheet. However, as the recount took place over a period of 34 days, it revealed that the returning officer of Region 4 did alter the figures on the spreadsheet in favor of the APNU/AFC government. The returning officer had attempted to steal more than 18,000 votes and hand them to the coalition government while robbing the opposition and smaller political parties.
After it was discovered that the elections officer of Region 4, Mr. Clairmont Mingo, had attempted to steal the elections for the APNU/AFC, the APNU/AFC officials changed their narrative, claiming that the PPP/C rigged the elections by having “dead and migrated persons” voting.
The recount results now shows that the PPP/C has won the elections by over 15,000 votes. However, the APNU/AFC presidential candidate, Mr. David Granger, is refusing to concede defeat, instead clinging to power with his supporters threatening violence if he is not sworn in again.
With the recount result now showing that the PPP/C has won with more than 15,000 votes, it is expected that the GECOM chairperson, Claudette Singh, would make a declaration by the 16th of June, 2020. However, the APNU/AFC officials are pushing for the GECOM chairperson to declare the elections null and void or declare the APNU/AFC the winner on the basis of a flawed electoral process.
Meanwhile, a conglomerate of international powers including the Organization of American States, CARICOM, the United States, the European Union and Canada have urged Guyana to use the results of the recount to swear in a legitimate government. As a result of this, the chairperson of GECOM is under great stress. Let’s pray she does the right thing.
