President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday announced that the security forces are fully mobilised and on alert in the city to prevent any violence, while sounding a warning against attempts to mislead people into taking to the streets over the elections results.
“The security forces have my clear instructions to deal with any act of violence against any citizens in the manner befitting those actions and also in accordance with the laws of this country,” he told a hastily-convened news conference at State House, where he also sounded his disappointment with the Guyana Elections Commis-sion (GECOM) over its inability to announce preliminary results as yet. He blamed the non-declaration of results for fuelling tension and enabling a climate of fear.
“I have made it clear that what we trained for, that is, any eventuality—for people to come on the street and harm others—that we will proceed according to plan to make sure that the environment is safe and that people can go about their business in a safe manner without being subjected to harassment and violence,” Jagdeo added. He said he had instructed the Police Commissioner Henry Greene to ensure the protection of citizens in the city, in addition to requesting that an investigation be done into all attempts to incite violence and that every instance be documented.
He dismissed suggestions that there is a “vacuum” in the country’s leadership while results were still to be declared, which he said was being peddled largely to the security forces. “Let me make it clear that there is absolutely no vacuum,” he said, while explaining that the constitution provides for the president to demit office when the new one is sworn in. “I have been in contact with the security forces and I will be in direct contact with them throughout the period until the inauguration of the new president,” he added.
Jagdeo, who said he was “very confident” of a PPP/C victory after “elections were fought competitively,” noted that all political parties already know the results, since they had agents present at all the polling places across the country and would have tallied the statements of poll that they received.
“GECOM had asked that none of the parties declare, prior to their announcement of the results, none of them claim victory or anything of the sort, and so it’s incumbent upon them to accelerate the declaration of the preliminary results, at least, so as to remove this unease and uncertainty that a lot of citizens face,” he said, noting that the anxiety could be used to mobilise people to go out on the streets and commit acts of violence.
He added that it was frustrating for the PPP/C, knowing the results, not to say anything and await the GECOM announcement.
Jagdeo, who also announced that the PPP/C had withdrawn its requests for recounts, dismissed suggestions that the process could have delayed the announcement of preliminary results. GECOM, he said, could have announced the preliminary results with a proviso that there were requests for recounts, after which the final results would be declared. He said because the recounts were cited as a factor for the delay, the PPP/C withdrew the requests for recounts. “So now there is absolutely no excuse for GECOM not to announce these results,” he said.
Jagdeo did acknowledge that GECOM has said it is unfair to expect it to immediately declare results based on a count of the statements of poll without verification. He, however, added that the delay has allowed some parties that have seen that they have lost already to begin making excuses and start mobilising people around the uncertainties.
He said that he had seen several text messages, which were even sent to his phone, in which it was reported that APNU was the winner of the elections and that there was collusion between GECOM and the PPP/C to manipulate the results. The messages, he said, also suggested that ballot boxes were found in Vreed-en-Hoop and in the city and urged that people take to the streets.
“This is the traditional… the typical way of misleading people, bringing them on the street for false reasons and they are using text messages now to do that because they are aware of the results,” he said.
All the boxes have been accounted for by GECOM, Jagdeo pointed out, while adding that even if any had been removed, it could not alter the results since the signed copies of the statements of poll would show the results. “How is it possible to change anything now?” he questioned. “So, I urge Guyanese once again, not to fall prey to an attempt to mislead.”
Jagdeo reiterated that the toughest action would be taken domestically and internationally against any persons who seek to incite violence, including political party officials, the media and websites.
Further, he said the United Nations would be asked to do a total investigation of any violence that takes place and to go after the people who are responsible for the incitement through various mediums, including using websites and text messages. “This time around we are going to make an example of anyone who tries to perpetrate violence against any citizen, if a single person is hurt in the street, because it is time that we put this nonsense behind us,” he said. “It’s just mathematics now and then the results are known. You contest, and you lose and the process has been fair, and you have to accept the results, not to try and change the game at the end,” he added, while saying that those who try to mislead would “disappear again” while those who follow them would be the ones “who face the brunt of the consequences.”
