Dear Editor,
The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) like all other Guyanese citizens and organisations, is aware that PPP Government of Irfaan Ali declared elected based on fraudulent votes which are shrouded with illegitimacy.
This fraud has been immorally legitimised by the judiciary, misguided utterances by the Chairman of CARICOM and the international community, which was insistent on regime change.
I recalled before the swearing-in of the new President following the ‘Declaration’ issued by the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (ret.) Claudette Singh, on Sunday 2nd August 2020 that about at 14:00hours, on the said day GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward announced that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, had submitted his Elections Report in keeping with the Recount data.
However, in the report, he made it clear: “In accordance with Article 177 (2)(b), it is worth restating that Order 60 of 2020 revealed that the numerical count of the ballots cast for each list of candidates does not reflect the true will of the electors. The evidence provided with respect to voter impersonation has been verified by the relevant authorities by way of immigration records and deceased reports.”
The Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (ret.) Claudette Singh completely ignored the anomalies, discrepancies and irregularities highlighted in the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield’s report and allowed the People Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) Presidential candidate Dr. IRFAAN ALI to be ELECTED as 9th Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana BASED ON FRAUDULENT VOTES and not by honest will of the people. Following that the APNC/AFC Coalition issued a statement and repeated its position that fraudulent votes should not have been counted. The inclusion of fraudulent votes in a ‘Declaration’ constitutes a violation of the fundamental principles of democracy. They maintained that the Elections Commission should have made a ‘Declaration’ based only on valid votes. The APNU+AFC Coalition have stated, repeatedly, from the start of the electoral process, that they expected a lawful ‘Declaration’ of the Elections Commission. We have never altered this position. The party cannot endorse a flawed Report and will continue its campaign to ensure that the votes of all Guyanese are accurately recorded, tallied and reported.
The statement added that recount process revealed a number of grave anomalies, discrepancies and irregularities, the scale, size and scope of which were revealed only through tabulation and observation during the recount. The recount was intended to determine both the quantitative and qualitative nature of the votes cast at the General and Regional Elections and to determine “a final credible count”. At the end of the recount, however, it became manifest that the results did not meet the standard for credible elections.
The APNU+AFC Coalition, in the national interest, and with a view to preserving peace and maintaining order, has acted responsibly throughout this prolonged political crisis. They implore all Guyanese to remain calm and peaceful and assure us that they will challenge the declared results lawfully by a way of an elections petition and urge its members, supporters and friends – who have been patient throughout the campaign and the post-elections process – to continue to conduct themselves in a lawful and peaceful manner. In light of that, I have seen in a selection of the printed media that the APNU+AFC Coalition has reportedly finalised its list of candidates to be sworn in as Members of Parliament and new faces is dominating the list as reported in the daily newspapers.
Among the list of names submitted by APNU+AFC Leader David Granger for Parliament are: Attorneys Roysdale Forde, Geeta Chandan and Amanza Walton, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan, Devin Sears, Juretha Fernandes, Vincent Henry and Ronald Cox.
GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald and Vinceroy Jordan are also among the new faces while I am happy to see young and vibrant group of Parliamentarians have been chosen to participate in decision making at the highest level for the good of our country and I am at a lost to know what is the position of APNU+AFC party under the Leadership of David Granger as we go forward. We claimed that the PPP Government of Irfaan Ali have declared elected on August 2, 2020 based on massive electoral fraud but we are not doing enough to prove to the world that his Government is illegal.
I am of the opinion that if the APNU+AFC coalition take up their seats in the National Assemble of the 9th Parliament which is expect to commence within the next two weeks without (1) an election petition being filed to challenge the 2020 general elections results to uncover the anomalies, discrepancies and irregularities during the National recount and (2) boycott of parliament in protest until the matter is heard in court with fairness and without political interference. it will discredit the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield ‘s report and betray its supporters who were on the streets day and night calling for valid votes to be honoured only.
The ABC Countries, CARICOM leaders and the rest of the world will see that the APNU+AFC coalition was fooling around which resulted in five months of political and economic crisis in this country and they could not be trusted again to govern and most of all the PPP/C Government will look good in the public sight both locally and internationally. I trust The APNU+AFC Coalition will reexamine its position of taking up their seats in parliament at this time.
Regards
Rayvonne P. Bourne
