The US, Canada and the United Nations yesterday urged the Guyana Government to pave the way for the return of observers from the Carter Center for the recount of votes from the March 2nd general elections which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
Keeping up the pressure on the Guyana Government over the long-delayed elections results, the calls came after the Carter Center disclosed on Saturday that it was yet to receive approval for a flight into Guyana today.
“The United States calls on the Government of #Guyana to approve entry for @CarterCenter and @IRIGlobal in order to ensure a transparent electoral recount. A credible recount requires robust international participation. #GuyanaElections,” Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Michael Kozak last evening tweeted. Kozak has issued a stream of statements in recent weeks in defence of free and fair elections here and a verified result.
Kozak’s call was preceded by an even stronger one from Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas at Global Affairs Canada, Michael Grant.
“We continue to watch the situation in Guyana. Glad the CARICOM mission has returned but President Granger should also immediately approve return of the Carter Center. They are duly accredited & want to complete their observation mission,” Grant tweeted.
Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee and the United Nations Resident Coordinator here, Mikiko Tanaka are also among those who have called for the return of the Carter Center team.
Currently, Guyana’s borders and those of its neighbours are closed to incoming international flights except in special cases. One such case was the team of scrutineers from CARICOM which arrived on Friday. The three-member team was granted a special dispensation by the National COVID-19 Task Force following assurances from CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRoque that the members would be tested for the virus and would only enter Guyana if they tested negative.
The Center is one of five international observer groups which observed the March 2nd elections and had expressed grave concerns over the credibility of the tabulation for District Four by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo. It had signalled its interest in returning for the recount.
The US Embassy here has said that on Saturday it was told that observers it had proposed to come for the process had not been granted approval.
“The U.S. Embassy was informed on Saturday, May 2 that the incoming May 4 flight had been approved by the Task Force, but not the arrival of the observers”, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Violeta Talandis said.
Reconsideration
“Subsequently, we have sought reconsideration of this matter at the highest levels in recognition that the observer missions illustrate the commitment of the caretaker government and the international community to a free, fair and transparent recount process,” she added.
Stabroek News tried contacting various officials of the government here for comment yesterday, to no avail.
Government’s Communication Director Ariana Gordon referred this newspaper to COVID-19 officials or the Ministers of State and Foreign Affairs.
Calls and messages to Chief Executive Officer of the COVID-19 Task Force and former Minister of State Joseph Harmon went unanswered.
This newspaper also tried calling the mobile phones of de facto Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Minister State Karen Cummings and Dawn Hastings respectively but those too went unanswered.
The US Embassy Public Affairs Officer said that for several weeks the embassy here has been requesting permission for special flights to carry American citizens from Guyana back to the United States and with one flight coming in today, it made a request that observers from the named organizations be allowed to be incoming passengers.
“As part of the May 4 flight that has received approval, the Embassy requested through diplomatic note that the incoming flight carry international observers from the Carter Center. This request was made as part of the US commitment to a free, fair and transparent recount process.
Further, she explained, “The United States Embassy requested on April 29 by diplomatic note the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in obtaining permission for flights on May 4, 2020 and May 30, 2020. These flights serve a dual purpose, with the inbound flight on May 4 carrying accredited international observer missions to Guyana for the recount process and the outbound flights serving to repatriate US Nationals, Legal Permanent Residents and Third Country Nationals.”
The Public Affairs Officer said that the May 30 flight was requested to return the observers to the United States along with U.S. citizens, Legal Permanent Residents and Third Country Nationals who wish to return to or transit to their homes.
“The inbound flight request was made on behalf of the Carter Center and the International Republican Institute with reference to other observer missions that also may wish to avail themselves of the requested flights. The Embassy sent a copy of the diplomatic note to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority accompanied by a request to advance the issue to Guyana’s COVID-19 Task Force. We received the usual professional courtesies from all parties, as is characteristic of Guyana’s diplomats and civil servants. The diplomatic note referenced the observer’s intentions to comply with the COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures.”
Government-appointed Commissioner at GECOM Vincent Alexander yesterday distanced the commission from the decision saying that all observers of the March 2nd elections remain accredited but that it is the government which is responsible for granting approval for foreign observers to come to the country.
Alexander said that at yesterday’s GECOM meeting the issue of the Carter Center did not come up but PPP/C Commissioner, Sase Gunraj said that Chairperson Claudette Singh said that she was communicating with the COVID-19 Task Force on the matter.
Meanwhile, European Union Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó yesterday said that the EU will have a representative present at the recount whether it be him or an accredited observer.
GECOM spokesperson Yolanda Ward on Saturday also told reporters that the OAS has said two locally-based members of its team will represent it at the recount.
Gunraj says that he hopes that the approval would be granted swiftly so that the observers could be briefed about the rules and process for the recount.
“We expect in short order that local and international observers will be briefed as to the conduct of the proceedings…,” he said.
