Although he acknowledged that threatened sanctions are a concern, APNU+AFC campaign co-chair Joseph Harmon is not backing away from supporting results delivered by the Region Four Returning Officer (RO) which have been widely described both here and abroad as rigged.
Undeterred, the APNU+AFC Coalition yesterday urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to have the pending court matter resolved so that President David Granger can be sworn in for his second term.
According to Harmon the coalition is guided by the fact that the Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield has submitted a report of the final results to the Commission for its consideration which was interrupted by the filing of several court matters but that once these matters have been discharged the Commission will meet, consider the report and declare the coalition the winner of the March 2 General Elections.
Observers have said that Lowenfield has shepherded the discredited results without investigating allegations of fraud and that it would ultimately come down to GECOM Chair Claudette Singh to declare whether they would be accepted or not.
“Guyana has patiently waited on this matter,” Harmon told a press conference at the campaign headquarters on Lamaha Street. Harmon made this statement even as an increasing number of both international and local entities have declared the tabulation of the votes cast in Region Four as not credible. There have been mounting views that the real result was likely a win for the opposition PPP/C.
Asked if his party believes that the declaration from the Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was based on a rigged process and therefore fraudulent, Harmon deflected into a definition of fraud and the reiteration that his party was not involved in any fraudulent action.
“Fraud is not a political term. It is a legal concept which requires specific averments that speak to fraud…as far as I am aware there is not a finger has been lifted to say that the APNU+AFC was involved in any fraud,” he maintained.
Asked if he was concerned that the continued threats of international sanctions would affect Guyana’s ability to access revenue earned from its oil, Harmon said the administration was working to change the narrative which has arisen internationally around the elections and government.
“Sanctions are something we have to be concerned about in this country because it could affect the development of the country and it can stymie that development and therefore anyone who feels that sanctions will affect one group of persons, it will affect everybody,” he said.
The politician added that the coalition would work to make sure that those “conditions which activate the threats” are not met.
International stakeholders including the United States government have repeatedly stated that should President Granger be sworn in based on disputed results sanctions would follow.
The current Region 4 results of the March 2 elections are being disputed by all contesting parties except the coalition as well as all international and local observer groups.
President Granger in light of this dispute had contacted the Caribbean Community to supervise a national recount. This move was agreed to by all parties and was being facilitated until APNU+AFC Candidate Ulita Moore filed an action seeking to have the action declared unconstitutional.
Asked if his party facilitated the filing of the case, Harmon yesterday deflected the query noting instead that like any number of other private citizens over the years, Moore has the right to approach the Court on the matter.
“I won’t acknowledge those Opposition assertions with a response,” he declared.
Asked directly if his party believes that GECOM can facilitate a recount at this stage and if they would support same, Harmon said it depends on the law.
“We believe in the law once the law provides for it. If it is by a declaration by the Chairman of GECOM or it has to go court by ways of an election petition. Whatever is the outcome we will support it,” he stated.
