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The APNU+AFC on Sunday again called for the declarations of the March 2, 2020 elections be based on valid votes, warning against GECOM’s current position that fraudulent votes be included in the final tabulations.
“We recall that in our press release of June 7, 2020 APNU+AFC noted with disappointment the decision of GECOM to tabulate and include over 11,000 fraudulent votes found in 47 ballot boxes from the East Coast of Demerara and others revealed in the laborious recount process which have been carefully quantified and discrepancies verified from authorizing agencies,” the coalition said in a statement Sunday.
In 63 letters of correspondence to Chair and The Secretariat of GECOM over the last three months, the Coalition said it requested that these and other issues which were “parked” be dealt with. It speaks volumes to note that the APNU+AFC received 6 responses to their 63 letters. As a major stakeholder in these elections we find this totally unacceptable and reiterate that fraudulent votes must be excluded in a final count. These concerns must be addressed if we are to move forward.
The APNU+AFC said entered into the recount process with the expectation that the misgivings regarding the Mingo declarations would be investigated. Unlike 1997 President David Granger did NOT have himself sworn in secretly, but suggested a recount as we have nothing to hide. What came out of the process was indications of massive fraud and “rigging” perpetrated and to the benefit of the PPP.
Gazetted Order 60 of 2020 outlined an approach and as Appeal Court Judge Brassington Reynolds in his ruling stated “Counsel for the second-named respondent [Chairperson of Gecom, Justice Ret’d Claudette Singh] admitted that GECOM did set as its objective, determining the final credible count of votes ”
With this in mind we find it unconscionable that the fraud found in 1261 infected boxes, revealed under the watchful eyes and in the presence of local and international observers, members of the diplomatic community and election agents from all the political parties received no condemnation. These groups with their continued silence on this fraud have displayed their absence of fairness and impartiality which has spawned a suspicion and lack of trust amongst the more that 236,000+ APNU+AFC supporters who voted in these elections. This threatens the stability of Guyana.
The threat of COVID-19, the unfolding events in Venezuela and the constant threatening comments directed to GECOM, the President, Government officials and supporters when GECOM has not yet made a declaration is a clear indication of a carefully orchestrated plan to oust a legitimately elected government and to implement regime change by some entities and not a genuine desire to assist Guyana at his difficult time..
These developments are contrary to the democratic principles this coalition Government has held dear. “APNU+AFC calls for a credible vote, since in the bundle of tabulated votes rests several votes which are fraudulent. Decisions in relation to issues raised by APNU+AFC are awaited,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has attacked the coalition for reiterating that only valid votes should be used to declare a winner in the March 2, 2020 elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday hours after the APNU+AFC coalition had issued theirs, the PPP/C said, the press statement, clearly, cannot be intended for sane, right-thinking Guyanese. “It seems written for a ‘captured’ David Granger who needs repeated convincing of the line being pushed by the Coalition’s Joseph Harmon and others and will no doubt be taken to Mr. Granger as ‘evidence’ of the delusion notion of an electoral victory,” the PPP/C said.
According to the PPP/C the coalition’s statement rehashes a set of issues that have long been overtaken by events and judicial pronouncements from both the High Court and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). “It continues to recite the ridiculous and unsubstantiated allegations made by APNU+AFC at the recount exercise; it accuses the PPP of rigging; it attacks Order 60 of 2020 and it quotes Justice Brassington Reynolds’ ruling in the Court of Appeal in the Eslyn Davids case, which was set aside by the CCJ.”
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