The Organization of American States (OAS) today repudiated the latest report by Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield fabricating a `win’ for the incumbent APNU+AFC and it warned that in the coming days a report will be issued to the body’s Permanent Council on this and other matters.
The OAS, which has issued a flurry of statements on the electoral crisis here, said that a new election is also unacceptable and the only way forward would be the use of the results of the internationally-observed recount.
Lowenfield today issued a report to GECOM which defied the instructions of the Chair, Claudette Singh
A statement from the OAS follows:
The Organization of American States (OAS) notes that the Chief Election Officer of Guyana, in direct opposition to the instructions of the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission, has submitted a final report which includes data compiled prior to the national recount; data which had already been deemed to be questionable.
There can be no justification for this action. As intimated in our statement of July 10, this confirms that the Chief Election Officer is acting in bad faith and contrary to the interest of democracy in Guyana.
Let us be very clear – the only democratic solution for Guyana at this time is respect for the results of the national recount. No other figures – neither those prepared prior to the recount, nor those recently invalidated by the Caribbean Court of Justice, nor any others that may be unilaterally devised by the Chief Election Officer – can have any place in the final determination of results. A new electoral process is also an unacceptable solution.
Article 1 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter states that “The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.” It is past time that the current leaders of Guyana comply with their democratic responsibilities and allow the newly elected government to take its place.
In the coming days, the OAS General Secretariat will report to the OAS Permanent Council on these and other recent developments in Guyana.
