The Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) has defended the security escort availed to President David Granger saying that it is determined by the Special Protective Service
In a statement on Saturday, MoTP was responding to a letter by Kit Nascimento in that day’s edition of the Guyana Times.
The letter was also carried in that day’s edition of Stabroek News under the headline `Granger has avoided stating he will accept recount result and is not innocent of this attempt to force rigged election on country’. MoTP made no reference to the letter carried in Stabroek News.
MoTP said that among untruths in Nascimento’s letter is that Granger arrived at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Sunday, May 17, 2020, surrounded by “massive security”.
“Mr. Nascimento and the Guyana Times must know that President Granger remains President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana until another President is sworn in. He is, therefore, entitled to travel with the requisite security detail that is determined by the Special Protective Service.
“President Granger arrived at the Conference Centre with his usual security detail. No additional security measures were put in place to facilitate this visit. Video footage can corroborate this. The Guyana Times representative who covered the President’s visit can also attest to this”. In a response on Sunday to the MoTP statement, Nascimento said “The fact is that Granger has surrounded himself, as a `President’ ruling a tiny country with an amount of security larger than any of our previous Presidents and, certainly, of the kind employed by military dictators such as Idi Amin of Uganda infamy, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Fidel Castro of Cuba, General Gowon of Nigeria, all of whom I can speak of from my personal experience, having met with them all at one time or another in my past”.
MoTP noted that Nascimento claimed in his letter, that the Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh was obliged to be at the side of the President at a press conference he convened at the National Aquatic Centre after visiting the ACCC. “This is patently false. The President was not accompanied by Justice Singh at the press briefing”, MoTP said.
Nascimento apologized for this error on Sunday.
In relation to Nascimento’s contention that Granger was evasive in answering the question of whether he would accept the result of the recount underway at the ACCC, MoTP said: “Mr. Nascimento’s blatant attempts to twist the words uttered by the Head of State, again, reveal his narrow political motives at the expense of the truth. Mr. Nascimento has not presented a shred of evidence to support any of his assertions against the sitting Head of State and should therefore, desist from making spurious claims.
“A national recount of ballots is currently ongoing and Mr. Nascimento, like all Guyanese, must respect the process and await the outcome… President Granger maintains that he has respect for Justice Singh and will abide by the decision of the Elections Commission”.
