Dr Irfaan Ali is Guyana’s President: Res judicata – COA is now on trial

BY: DR. LESLIE RAMSAMMY

The whole world recognises that Dr Irfaan Ali is the duly elected President of Guyana. On Tuesday, July 21, the OAS made it clear GECOM must declare the results as was tabulated in the recount. The recount happens to agree 100 per cent with the Statements of Poll prepared by 2339 GECOM Presiding Officers on March 2, 2020. It was disgraceful witnessing the barefaced lying by Karen Cummings and Basil Williams. Even Venezuela openly condemned APNU/AFC for trying to thief an election.

Even as the OAS, and every country in the Americas, was scorching them with condemnation, APNU/AFC appealed to the Court of Appeal (COA) on Tuesday for matters that are res judicata, settled matters, further delaying the swearing-in of President Ali. The COA now risks further undermining of confidence in that institution if they permit APNU/AFC to wickedly obstruct the swearing-in of President Ali. At the same time, Guyana shamefully entered the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest delayed election results. APNU/AFC is heaping more shame and disgrace on Guyana.

Still, David Granger and his sycophants continue to squat, illegally holding on to office, trying to thief the elections. But the legitimate President of Guyana is Dr Irfaan Ali, free and fair, in accordance with the will of Guyanese. But between March 2 and today, “dark forces”, “sanctimonious gangster”, “fraudster Mingo”, “Lone Ranger Lowenfield”, shameless GECOM Commissioners and a willing Guyana COA have derailed the swearing-in of President Irfaan Ali. GECOM Chair’s extreme caution in navigating the new President swearing in path is allowing the “dark forces” to implement their mischief unimpeded. Worryingly, a significant number of Guyanese and international stakeholders believe decisions handed down by two of the COA Judges are pre-written by the “dark forces”. Hopefully, this is not true.

The US has already imposed visa restrictions on Granger and his sycophants and Canada and the UK are soon to follow. On Tuesday, the OAS made it clear that “dark forces” have tried to thief the elections in Guyana, accusing APNU/AFC of using the Judiciary in trying to thief the elections. Shamefully, Basil Williams and Karen Cummings lied to the OAS. Guyanese watching the painful defence by these two must have felt disgraced, condemned by even Venezuela. The OAS is moving towards sanctioning Guyana. The Commonwealth is likely to follow closely any action taken by the OAS. Caricom has shown that its decades of tolerance of rigged elections prior to 1992 in Guyana no longer exists. Whatever quiet diplomacy Caricom used before 1992 to discourage rigging of elections, the current Caricom leaders insist on compliance with the Chaguaramas Treaty and they speak out openly, loudly, brutally.

The General Secretary of the PPP, Dr Bharat Jagdeo, the elected President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP have shown commendable restraint, but have also shown they will not permit Granger and his version of the PNC to thief the elections, as Forbes Burnham’s and Desmond Hoyte’s PNC did before 1992. While Cheddi Jagan fought bravely against rigged elections before 1992, he did so with little support from civil society in Guyana and the international community. In fact, outside of secret diplomacy, the international community showed enabling tolerance with the riggers in Guyana before 1992. The difference between the 1968 to 1992 period and present is there is now a robust civil society engagement and a determined international community committed to free and fair elections.

The international community simply will not permit thieving elections. The rigging cabal, described by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados as “dark forces”, led by a “sanctimonious gangster” has used a fraudster to tamper with the results of the elections and a lone ranger who has imposed on himself “god-like” powers to make up the results of the elections. They have used the Judiciary in their clandestine plan to thief the elections. But while the CJ and the CCJ have ruled in accordance with the law, the COA has given the “dark forces” lifelines, one after the other, every time the “sanctimonious gangster” and his sycophants come to them. They know the law is not on their side, but the “dark forces” are playing for time. It is a judicial coup d’état so far. While, overall, the Chief Justice and the CCJ have stymied the “dark forces”, the COA has given them time for their mischief, keeping hopes alive that the “dark forces” will be able to thief the elections.

The “dark forces” are confident the COA will buy them time again. But, because the matters they are taking to the COA are res judicata, the COA Judges themselves will be on trial. The COA can only hurt themselves, by further undermining confidence in that institution should it twist itself to address matters that are res judicata. The recount has been validated by the CCJ, it is res judicata. The ten declarations, including the Mingo fraud, and Lowenfield’s various reports using fraudulent results, have been declared invalid by both the CJ and the CCJ and have been discarded by GECOM. These matters are res judicata. The COA has absolutely no room for wickedness. Willingly playing APNU/AFC’s games, the COA Judges recklessly risk exposure as part of the rigging cabal.