The Alliance for Change (AFC) is calling on the “so called” guardians of democracy who accused the APNU+AFC coalition of holding GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh SC, captive prior to the March 2, 2020 elections to retract their statements.
AFC Executive Beverly Alert made the call a day after Singh appeared before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the March 2020 elections, where she admitted that at a crucial juncture on March 5, 2020, she locked herself away in a room as an illegal declaration was being made by the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo,.
“For two years, more than two years, this nation was led to believe that it was the APNU+AFC through their election agents that held captive the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission—that held her in her room, under duress. That [they] refused to let her go. That [they] sort of kidnapped her. That [they] broke off the handle of the door. Those were the lies being peddled by the PPP [People Progressive Party], by those who proclaim themselves to be guardians of democracy,” Alert told members of the media yesterday during a press conference.
“For two and a half years this lie that is being peddled that AFC+APNU… trapped her in the room, held her there against her will… The judge was at no time under attack or threatened by agents of the APNU+AFC,” she asserted.
As such, Alert is calling on the ‘guardians of democracy’ to withdraw the statements made during that period. “Those so-called guardians of democracy who been peddling these lies, need to do a service to this country and to retract those statements.”
On Thursday, the retired judge told the CoI that during those critical moments she had been “stressed” and “afraid for her life” so instead of taking action, she locked herself in a room.
“…There were so many things on my mind and I wanted to know what to do, the next step. So, I just couldn’t be bothered by anybody. I went up there (room) just to have a quiet moment.”
In her sworn testimony, Singh said hours after Region Four Returning Officer Mingo declared the results for Region Four, she journeyed to a room on the third floor of the Ashmins Building which housed the GECOM administrative centre since she was feeling unwell. “I felt a bit dizzy. I wasn’t feeling well. There were so many things on my mind I was actually shaking….With the declaration…there were so many events.”
The decision, she said, was taken although her security detail had called on her to leave the building.
At this point, Singh said she was still “strange” to GECOM and didn’t know who to trust. Singh had been named as GECOM Chair on July 26, 2019. She said the only person she called on was then APNU+AFC Government Minister Amna Ally, who she described as a “friend” who would often support her. “I called her [Ally] because I was afraid for my life. I thought people were coming to harm me… I knew her, she was a Minister, and she would give me some support. She told me she would be calling someone.”
In response to this, Alert told the press conference, “You cannot believe that your life is being threatened by a group of people and then call a senior person for that same group.”
Former high-ranking executive member of The New Movement (TNM), Dr Josh Kanhai, who had previously testified before the CoI, had said that Singh was found locked away in a room with former Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers and around one dozen men. “… I saw Madam Chair seated on the couch with Miss Roxanne Myers sitting on the handle and about 12 men in that room,” Kanhai had said. According to Kanhai, the Chair appeared “flustered” and “pale.”
However, when asked about this under oath, Singh denied the testimony and contended that she only had her security officer and driver with her. As a matter of fact, she said she didn’t even know police officers were outside the room.
The CoI was set up by President Irfaan Ali to probe the events surrounding the March 2nd 2020 elections which eventuated in a five-month delay in the declaration of the results.
Alert yesterday disclosed that the AFC party is “anxiously” awaiting the report from the Commis-sion on its findings. She said they are certain that recommendations will be made to improve the country’s electoral system.
“As a party, we are anxiously awaiting the report from the commission because we are pretty sure it will make some very serious recommendations for improving our elections machinery.”
She also expressed the party’s willingness to work towards “reasonable” reform of GECOM.
