United States (U.S.) Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo has been called out for failing to accept the results of the 2020 U.S. elections which is the opposite of what he pressured politicians in Guyana to do when they faced their Elections, concluding only four months ago.
Several international media entities, such as Washington Post, have pointed out how interestingly the tables have turned but the U.S. Secretary of State – by extension the Trump Administration – have failed to take their own advice.
At a briefing at the U.S. State Department in July 2020 Pompeo said: “It has now been four months since Guyana’s elections and it is long past due for a peaceful transition of power. CARICOM and the OAS have certified the recount results and should get on with it. I’ve instructed my Department to ensure those who undermine Guyana’s democracy are held accountable.”
Later that month, he pressed further with threats demanding that the APNU+AFC Coalition accept the results of the March Elections. “Granger is undermining Guyana’s democracy. We will revoke the visa of those who are preventing a peaceful government transition in the South American country…the recount of votes, which concluded on June 7 and showed a victory for the Opposition, reflected the will of the Guyanese people. Unfortunately, Guyana’s leaders have refused to accept this result,” Pompeo said.
Fast forward just a few months later and the Trump Administration has refused to accept the results of their just-concluded November elections which will see President Donald Trump out of the White House and President Elect, Joe Biden in.
When the polls began to show a win for Biden, Trump tweeted: “STOP THE COUNT!”. He has been backed by several top Republicans like Pompeo who insisted on Tuesday at a State Department press conference that: “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration…we must make sure that any vote that wasn’t lawful ought not be counted. That dilutes your vote, if it’s done improperly. Got to get that right. When we get it right, we’ll get it right.”
The Trump Administration is claiming fraud much like the APNU+AFC Administration did but under completely different circumstances. The countries also differ in terms of the U.S. being developed and Guyana being a developing country with multiple electoral challenges.
Some of the issues highlighted by the APNU+AFC Coalition included counterfoils and ballots carrying the same number; ballots for one region cast in another; ballots cast for the dead and persons who have migrated; persons voting without proper identification; persons voting outside of their districts without employment documents; large numbers of improperly stamped ballots at locations where disciplined services members voted; missing poll books; documents from one polling station being found in the ballot boxes of another and ballot boxes with no single statutory documents.
These alleged incidents were raised during a national recount conducted. With the elections nonetheless being declared in the favour of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, the APNU+AFC Opposition plans to raise their concerns again in Court at the end of the month via Election Petitions. They bear the burden of proving the aforementioned grievances and their established position that the national recount itself was illegal.
On the other hand, according to The Guardian, without evidence the Trump Administration claims “fake votes” in Nevada, where Trump trails Joe Biden by 36,000 votes; “voting irregularities” in Michigan and Georgia and more. Trump has promised legal action in the coming days even as some U.S. news sites surmise that his fraud claims are aimed, in part, at keeping the Trump base loyal.
Several representatives of the APNU+AFC have since stated publicly that Pompeo and Trump Administration needs now to practice what they preached.
