On Thursday Mr Joseph Harmon held a press conference on behalf of his party at the APNU+AFC headquarters on Lamaha Street. The AFC’s Raphael Trotman was also there, no doubt in order to underscore the fact that both segments of the governing party were in alignment. Since Mr Harmon spoke for the party one must presume by extension he also spoke for President David Granger, since it would be difficult to imagine that the party and its leader would be pursuing not just different, but also incompatible goals.
What Mr Harmon did do was elucidate for the public’s benefit a fuller account of APNU+AFC’s thinking. He told the media that Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield had submitted a report of the final results to Gecom, but the consideration of this had been interrupted by the filing of several court matters. Once these had been discharged, he said, the Commission would meet and after reviewing the report would declare the coalition the winner of the March 2 elections. We have heard this from him before, of course, but on the last occasion the Chief Justice handed down a ruling which possibly they did not expect, and certainly they did not want.
Inevitably Mr Harmon was asked the obvious question as to whether his party believed that the declaration from the Region Four Returning Officer was the consequence of a fraudulent process. He at first temporised, digressing to give the assembled reporters a definition of fraud – “…[it] is not a political term; it is a legal concept which requires specific averments that speak to fraud…” − but then going on to say, “not a finger has been lifted to say that the APNU+AFC was involved in any fraud.” That did not answer the question which was asked, namely, whether Mr Mingo’s declaration was the consequence of fraud.
Despite that, there is no doubt that the governing party is still not prepared to admit a fraudulent tabulation despite the fact that all international observers as well as local ones, the other contesting political parties and foreign diplomats have maintained the results were not credible. It appears to disturb the sleep of neither Mr Harmon nor the Leader of the party, that the coalition alone refuses to concede a problem with the results. Any party acting in good faith would want to establish without further ado what the true numbers are, and would not be trying to avert through the courts and by other means a recount to establish that. Surely they are not hoping to persuade all the observers and other parties that they did not see what they saw, and that those SoPs which have not been tampered with are forgeries? Mr Harmon, however, seemed oblivious to the contradictions in the party’s position.
The coalition’s obduracy in this regard is particularly significant given that the threat of international sanctions is very real should President Granger be sworn in for a second term on the basis of flawed results, no matter even if it follows a favourable court decision. When he was asked about sanctions, Mr Harmon responded that these were something they had to be concerned about, because they could stymie development, and would affect everyone. He also remarked he regarded any call for sanctions as “anti-national”. (Apparently he does not believe that the rigging of elections is “anti-national.”) And as for what the administration would do about the sanctions, he said it was working to change the narrative which had arisen internationally around the elections and government. He then added that the coalition would work to make sure that those “conditions which activate the threats” are not met.
Exactly what this might mean is interesting. At a press conference on the same day, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said the coalition had been trying to change the narrative of “fraudulent elections” in diplomatic circles, and especially at the Capitol in Washington. “They have been busy putting people to work trying to create the narrative … this has something to do with the court and with some ethnic problem we have in Guyana,” he was quoted as saying.
If this is so, and there is every reason to believe it is not far from what is occurring, one cannot help but feel it is an exercise in futility. The Americans are not fools; they know what all the observer groups without exception have said about the election, and they know what their diplomats have said on the subject, and the likelihood that they will reverse their publicly expressed view is probably close to nil, as is the possibility that sanctions would not be applied. It may be that the coalition is particularly concentrating its attentions on the Democrats, but that is unlikely to result in any difference in approach, and in any case, in this Covid-19 era the Hill, as it is called, is unlikely to have time for lobbyists from Guyana. seeking to avoid the legitimate outcome of an election.
One might have thought Mr Harmon was on shaky ground when he put such emphasis on court decisions, considering that Mr Mingo was in flagrant violation of the Chief Justice’s ruling of March 11 and 13, and his party has not condemned this. But it may be that one of the strategies to postpone sanctions at least, is to string out matters in the courts, something which will be more easily accomplished in the current coronavirus conditions.
While he would not answer the question as to whether his party facilitated the filing of Ms Ulita Moore’s case to stop the recount, Mr Harmon did say that they would support a recount if the law provided for it. That is to say, “If it is by a declaration by the Chairman of Gecom or it has to go to court by ways of an election petition…” Certainly an outcome which would require an elections petition in order to pursue the case would theoretically allow for an indefinite postponement, since traditionally elections petitions in this country take years to be heard.
If they are relying on interminable court delays and singular court decisions to delay or even avoid sanctions from the international community, they are probably deluding themselves. Foreign capitals will see the ruse for what it is, and operate accordingly.
But Mr Harmon had some other odd remarks to make. With reference to the parties which had contested the elections, he was quoted as saying, “I would encourage all the parties to let us sit and work out our differences. Sanction is not the way; this is not a way,” What did he mean? President Granger and Mr Jagdeo had already agreed a route out of the impasse, and it was none other than a member of the coalition which had obstructed that by bringing a court action. Does he regard it as realistic that the other parties would relinquish their position on a recount and negotiate with APNU+AFC? About what, it might be asked?
It might be noted with reference to the current situation, Commissioner Vincent Alexander had earlier declined to blame Gecom for the delays, and had been quoted as saying that, “The root cause is beyond our electoral system…We have serious problems with our plurality, the distrust and quest for power from different segments.”
No one denies that Guyana has an ethnic problem. But then that is nothing new, and both the major parties are equally responsible for its political manifestations. But that is not the point at this stage; events have to go in sequence.
The first thing which has to happen is a recount so it can be established beyond all reasonable doubt who won the election. After that, whoever is in government will be under enormous pressure to look at the matter of constitutional changes. There can be no moving to a national government or some species of ‘inclusivity’ by the incumbents, for example, without a declaration of credible results and the installation of the president on that basis, no matter who he is or what large segments of the public may think of him. The constitution as it stands has to be followed first, however inadequate it might be, because it supplied the rules under which the election was fought. It would be a gross disrespect to voters to ignore their vote, in addition to which it would be deceitful. And we have had enough deceit from our politicians to last a generation.
If the spreadsheet and the courts and now ‘working out our differences’ represent plans B and C for APNU+AFC one can only say they are destined for failure in terms of keeping themselves in government without the application of international sanctions. The party as well as President Granger need to come to the belated conclusion that only plan D has any chance of resolving the current imbroglio, and that is a recount.
