Georgetown, Guyana – (May 17, 2020): President David Granger, this morning, reiterated his position that he will abide by whatever declaration is made by Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh on the outcome of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The Head of State was at the time responding to questions posed by members of the media on his intention to accept the results as declared by the Elections Commission. President Granger has always said that he respects the autonomy of the Commission and will abide by its decisions.
“I would like to iterate that whatever declaration is made by the Chairman of the Elections Commission will be regarded as legitimate by the Coalition Government,” the President said.
A national recount of ballots is currently ongoing at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
The President said that as the President of Guyana and the Leader of the Government, “it is my policy that any declaration from the Chairman of GECOM will be accepted by the Government of Guyana… I speak for the Government,” he said.
Just prior to his engagement with the media, the President met the Chairman of the Elections Commission and other senior members of the Commission at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. He observed the recount taking place at the various workstations and was also able to meet the three members of the CARICOM scrutinising team, Ms. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mr. John Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and Mr. Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who made brief remarks about the work they have thus far done.
President Granger has repeatedly said that his Government will continue to abide by the Constitution, respect the rulings of the court, await the decision of the Elections Commission and rely on the role of the Caribbean Community in the recount process.
“That’s what I call the four Cs – the Constitution, the Court, the Commission, and CARICOM. I am very confident in CARICOM’s ability and integrity and I would just like to repeat what the Ambassador of Barbados to Washington said, that CARICOM is the most legitimate interlocutor on the Guyana situation. I am inspired by that remark and I share the sentiment that CARICOM is the most legitimate interlocutor on the Guyana situation,” the President said.
The Head of State told reporters that CARICOM is a reliable partner in the country’s development and is “as competent as anyone else to do what they have been invited to do”.
It was President Granger who facilitated the visit of five CARICOM Prime Ministers from Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana, during the events following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
“I am obliged to work with the CARICOM team to ensure that we provide a satisfactory outcome to the challenges which were made to the elections of the 2nd of March,” he said noting that some issues were raised with him and he expects that the Commission will address them.
“We would like to bring the process to a speedy conclusion but a correct conclusion so that the people of Guyana could be satisfied with the outcome,” President Granger said adding that it is clear that there is need for changes to be made to the country’s electoral system.
The President expressed hope that Guyanese would no longer have to wait so long to receive the results of the elections. “It is much too long and I believe that given the circumstances the measures which have been put in place will bring the process to a satisfactory conclusion,” he said.
Leave a Comment