APNU+AFC now considering a coup as their number 1 option to stay in power

BY: DR. LESLIE RAMSAMMY

Mr. Paul Tennesee stated Guyana has been in a dictatorship since March 2019. He is right. I fully agree with him. David Granger and APNU+AFC have utilized the judiciary and constitutional bodies such as GECOM to extend their time in office. But now Guyana is on the verge of an attempted coup d’état to consolidate the dictatorship.

Having exhausted every attempt to thief the March 2 elections, APNU+AFC is now actively considering an old-fashioned coup d’état. In the last several days, there are clear, ominous, sinister signals a coup d’état is now their number 1 option. APNU+AFC has given unambiguous signals, they have no intention of demitting office. Even as the US has already imposed visa restrictions for persons engaged in thieving the March 2 elections, even as CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, PROSUR, the ABCE countries, the UN have stepped up pressure, David Granger’s sycophants are emboldened in messaging that APNU+AFC must no longer dither, but proceed with an old-fashioned coup d’état. Anil Nandlall calls this option, “The Road to Perdition” and he deemed those proposing such an option a “bunch of wild men”. Ralph Ramkarran this week warned APNU+AFC is firmly on this road. Bharrat Jagdeo warned APNU+AFC several weeks ago, this is a non-viable option. But APNU+AFC is recklessly careening onto this pathway.

The clearest signal came on Saturday Hamilton Green, on Mark Benschop Radio, urged Granger as Commander in Chief to seize power. He demanded Granger must dismiss GECOM, discard the election, ignore the judiciary, cast aside local civil society and international stakeholders. He incited Granger to use the army for an old-fashioned coup d’état. He is one of the people Anil Nandlall calls “wild men”. Hamilton Green is blunt, demanding Granger cast aside the constitution and the laws – just use the army and thief the government. While Nandlall called him a wild man, make no mistake, this was carefully- planned messaging, testing the waters, checking to see the response from civil society and the international community. But Jagdeo, the PPP’s General Secretary, anticipating this option already warned the PPP will fiercely reject any APNU+AFC coup to thief the government. The international community already also clearly issued warnings; a coup will not be tolerated.

While Green did not disguise his coup proposal, others have also pursued the coup option. Vincent Alexander, a GECOM commissioner, another one of the “wild men”, on several occasions, demanded the elections be voided, Granger stays in power, reorganizes GECOM, prepares a new national registration system and then hold new elections in time for 2025. Alexander even published a 16-page document calling for new the elections. This might not be an old-fashioned coup, using the army to seize power, as Green has recommended, but it is still a coup. They have “Lampy and Pampy”, James Bond and a set of US-based PNC riggers, using social media to spread the message that Granger must forget the elections, just seize power.

After the Chief Justice rejected their request to legitimize their fraud at GECOM last week, they recognized the judiciary pathway towards thieving the election is evaporating. Joe Harmon issued a statement that APNU+AFC will not accept any GECOM declaration unless it uses the Mingo/Lowenfield fraudulent results, something GECOM and both the CJ and the CCJ already rejected. The statement threatened if the PPP and the other political parties support peace and stability, they will accept the Mingo/Lowenfield declaration. Outside of the blunt threat for violence, the statement is clearly signalling a coup. It might not be an old-fashioned coup d’état, but a coup is a coup.

Everyone in APNU+AFC is aware they lost the elections. Even ordinary supporters know APNU+AFC lost the elections. Besides the vast majority of Guyanese, the whole world knows that APNU+AFC has been trying to thief the elections. APNU+AFC now realize their plan to use GECOM to thief the March 2 elections has failed.

They now also recognize they miscalculated with the assumption Justice Claudette Singh will willingly serve as part of the rigging cabal within GECOM. Further, APNU+AFC has discovered the judiciary will not help them to thief the elections. The judiciary has demonstrated it is not easily intimidated, refusing to become a willing instrument to thief the elections on APNU+AFC’s behalf. This is why APNU+AFC is now on the Road to Perdition, as Nandlall has described.The vast majority of the Guyanese people, not just the PPP and the new political parties, but also civil society, and the whole world have already forcibly signalled that they will not stand idly by and allow this bunch of “wild men” and “wild women” in APNU+AFC to take the Road to Perdition. No coup will succeed in Guyana. But amidst the threat of a military coup, Granger has yet another opportunity to show that he has an ounce of decency and honesty by denouncing all the “wild men and women” in APNU+AFC and rejecting all calls for a coup d’état.

The PPP won the March 2 elections and while APNU+AFC continues to huff and puff, continues with their jiggery-pokery, sooner than later, Dr. Irfaan Ali will be sworn in as Guyana’s 9th President.