Accountability Watch

We must ask – on what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Elections Officer determine that he should invalidate 1 vote, far less over 115 000 votes when the votes were already certified as valid by officers of the Guyana Elections Commission in the presence of the political parties.

The Commonwealth Charter recognises the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live and for this right to be protected and respected.

It is respectfully submitted that such a chal lenge cannot be entertained at this time on the                 basis that it is premature. Any

Since the recount of the votes for the 2 March 2020 general and regional elections commenced on 6 May, we have been tracking developments on a weekly basis as the exercise progressed.

As this process concludes, it is important for all stakeholders to uphold the integrity of the process and peacefully accept the wishes of the Guyanese population.

Yet there is also cause for alarm [relating to the COVID-19 pandemic].

The U.S. Treasury Department last Friday imposed sanctions against the head of the Nicaraguan army and the country’s finance minister because of the Ortega regime’s increasing tendency towards authoritarianism and more specifically its ‘continued violations of basic human rights, blatant corruption, and widespread violence against the Nicaraguan people’.

What has transpired in this sister Caricom country since the March 2, 2020 election has basically been a circus, and it is indeed a shame that up to this stage a credible count of the votes has not been completed.

According to a most recent report on climate change, if global warming continues unchecked, by the year 2070 – just 50 years from now – the heat will be such that up to three billion people – almost 40 percent of the current world’s population – will be adversely affected by ‘warmer than conditions deemed suitable for human life to flourish’. This

The [Caribbean] Community calls on all concerned to ensure a credible and transparent recount process in order to provide legitimacy to any government, which would be sworn in as a result.

We can no longer exploit the resources of this earth — the trees, the water, and other natural resources — without any care for coming generations.

While Guyana’s  GDP growth rate is expected to reach unprecedented levels this year because of the commencement of crude oil production, three events will almost certainly have an adverse effect on such growth.

We’d also like to commend Guyana’s High Court for clearing the way for a nationwide recount of that country’s recent national elections as well.

The United States Government is entirely non-partisan about which party wins Guyana’s 2020 elections. 

You, Mr President, are a Churchman, you believe in God the Supreme, the Creator and Destroyer and those who would delude themselves that they would live forever, must realize that when that day comes, you can’t take a single thing with you – you come in this world with nothing and you leave with nothing and all that is left is what you have done for the people on earth. 

I am not sufficiently convinced that the results of the Region 4 elections as declared by the GECOM RO last Thursday (March 5th) accurately reflect the results recorded on the various statements of poll collected from the 879 polling stations…I have a difficulty accepting that all the persons and organizations who have so far deemed the process to lack credibility have somehow gotten it wrong…If our election results are as widely rejected as they appear likely to be, then there can be no winners.

Even though a statute puts power in the hands of a Returning Officer, that Returning Officer will understand that he holds in his hands the future and stability of Guyana as we go forward, because every vote must be made to count.

Last Monday, Guyanese voters took to the polling stations to cast their ballots for general and regional elections following the 21 December 2018 vote of no confidence in the Government.

This is the time for all stakeholders to demonstrate commitment to democratic principles, processes and institutions and not lose sight of the fact that legitimate elections represent the voice and will of the people.

Global Witness is an international watchdog group that ‘campaigns to end environmental and human rights abuses driven by the exploitation of natural resources and corruption in the global and economic system’.