Mr Granger knows the PPP/C won the elections and must allow GECOM to execute its constitutional duties unhindered

BY: GAIL TEIXEIRA

Mr David Granger knows very well that the PPP/C won the elections; he knows that his APNU+AFC Coalition lost the elections. He and his party, like the PPP/C, would have known the results from their polling agents in the 2,339 stations from all the Statements of Poll when the count was finished on the night of March 2, 2020.  If Presidents Hoyte and Ramotar could have known within three days of the elections in 1992 and 2015 respectively with less available technology, there is no way that Mr Granger does not know the results. That is why his party in cahoots with GECOM’s Lowenfield have refused to release their and GECOM’s Statements of Poll, as it would have ended once and for all the suffering and anxiety that the people of this country have endured for the last 118 days.

He knows the results of the recount three weeks ago which proved for the second time that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes, with 15,416 votes more than the APNU+AFC Coalition. Twice he and his Coalition have been defeated in the last 118 days. He does not have to wait for the official results.

Were he a man of honour and valour, he would have acted in a principled and dignified manner to accept that he and his party lost the elections. But no, that has not happened; the opposite has happened. He has dug his heels in and intends to remain in office “come hell or high water.” As l write this letter, his leaders are out in the field and the social media deliberately misinforming their supporters using Lowenfield’s fraudulent figures of the recount.

After the end of the recount on June 9th, Granger gave away his game plan during a June 12th interview, when he said, “We are also committed to ensuring that every legitimate vote is counted, but at the same time, we’re committed to removing the illegitimate votes. We are committed to ensuring that bogus votes, that people who were not in the jurisdiction, people who have no form of identification will not be allowed to vote. …It is my hope that the report of the CEO to the Commissioners would indicate that there has been a number of irregularities and those irregularities have impaired the credibility of the electoral process”. This signal to Lowenfield was fulfilled the next day.

The June 15th report of the CARICOM Observer Team caused a problem to Granger’s plan as it concluded that “nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2, 2020, elections.”

This was greeted with ice-cold silence from the de facto President Granger who had personally took credit for bringing the CARICOM Observer Team to witness the recount, and baptised the CARICOM as the “legitimate interlocutor.” Following this report and June 24th statement by the Head of the CARICOM, Prime Minister Mia Mottley on June 24th, he let loose his party “bulldogs” to accuse PM Mottley and the CARICOM, like all others before, of “foreign interference in the internal affairs of Guyana.”

Again intransigent in holding onto power, Lowenfield on June 23rd (despite a stay of execution) produced a new set of figures giving Granger 33 seats in the legislature, while disenfranchising 115,000 voters.

Mr Granger has pretended to be above the fray while in fact directing the show from behind the scenes. His delusional state cocoons him with the belief that defeat is not an option as he has some special entitlement; he has won, he is entitled to remain in office regardless; and the whole world is against him and his party. One only has to recall that at his swearing in ceremony on May 16, 2015, he quoted from the Psalms, “As the Lord hath called me to triumph, this is the day which he hath appointed for that purpose.” Few noticed the messianic choice of words.

He has been impervious to the findings of the international and regional Electoral Observer Missions on the March 2, 2020 elections and its aftermath, the appeals and repeated cautionary statements of the various political leaders outside the region – US State of Secretary Pompeo, Assistant Secretary of State Kozak, US congressmen and senators, the UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, as well as statements by the highest officials in international and regional bodies such as the OAS, CARICOM, the European Union, and individual countries, as well as highly respected non-governmental organisations such as The Carter Center and The Elders. Calls by old friends, such as Sir Shridath Ramphal, to comply with the rule of law for Guyana’s sake, have been disregarded.

Dominic Gaskin, his son-in-law and a leader of the AFC, has exposed the real danger: “The APNU+AFC has no intention of relinquishing control of government. …Even in the height of this uncertainty, President David Granger has remained silent and from all indications has not changed his position to concede defeat and allow the PPP/C, who are the legitimate winners of the elections, to be sworn in.” Gaskin has proven to be a man of honour and valour.

Mr David Granger has known all along that the 4,500 votes (less than 1% more votes) that put him in office on May 16 2015 was at best tenuous, and, therefore, his chances of winning in 2020 would be very slim. The fact that the PNC alone has never won an election prior to and since independence could not have escaped him. Thus the conspiracy to tamper with the 2020 elections began in earnest long before the No Confidence Motion. It has failed. He now bears full responsibility for the present loss of his and the Coalition’s fate.

We, and the rest of the world leaders who have spoken, have had enough of this deception that has ensnarled our people in a state of mental anguish, economic uncertainty and increasing poverty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is not the first time we, as a country, have transitioned from one ruling party in government to another. President Hoyte relinquished to Dr Cheddi Jagan following the first free and fair elections on October 5, 1992 and President Ramotar handed over to David Granger on May 16, 2015. These former presidents proved that they were far superior in their commitment to democracy and nation than Mr Granger.

On October 7, 1992 (2 days after the elections), the Chairman of the Elections Commission Ambassador Rudy Collins publicly reported that with 95% of the ballots counted that the PPP/C had won 54% of the votes. On the same day, the Chief Election Officer Stanley Singh had reported to the Chair and the Commission the results and the seat allocation, the PPP/C with 163,579 (28 seats), the PNC with 136,403 votes (23 seats) and one seat each for the TUF and the WPA. The other 12 seats would come from the regional seat allocation. That very afternoon, a two-man transition team was set up, comprised of Ambassador Cedric Grant appointed by President Hoyte and Dr Roger Luncheon by President-elect Dr Cheddi Jagan, which began meeting the next day.

On the same day, October 7, 1992, Hugh Desmond Hoyte issued a statement as President of the Republic of Guyana and Leader of the People’s National Congress, from the Office of the President in which he declared:

“… on the basis of the numbers supplied to the PNC Campaign Headquarters by our agents, it appears that the People’s Progressive Party will have a majority and it does not appear that votes not counted would materially alter the outcome….

In keeping with the requirements of democracy, the People’s National Congress will accept the results of the poll…

In the meantime, I would urge all Guyanese, in keeping with our democratic, to accept the results of the elections we were determined to ensure their transparency and we have succeeded. ….

I expect all citizens to accept these political developments, maintain a peaceful and harmonious climate in the society and keep the welfare and the good name of Guyana foremost in their minds.”

Dr Cheddi Jagan was sworn in on October 9, 1992.

Following the May 11, 2015 elections, the CEO Lowenfield on May 15th,  2015, during his announcement of the results, admitted he had some concerns with some counterfeit statements of poll from districts across the country; some of the statements that were delivered to GECOM were not on the same quality of paper on which the original statements were printed and some were void of specific security features that characterise GECOM’s official paper. However, the Chief Election Officer said that the votes contained on those statements were not enough to change the outcome of the elections (note this was Lowenfield’s position in a close run race with less than a 1% difference of votes between the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC). Both CEO Lowenfield and GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally were quoted in the media as saying that the votes reflected on those statements could not change the overall outcome of the elections, “no change would deprive APNU+AFC of a victory.”

As a result of the closeness of the votes, President Donald Ramotar called for a full recount and subsequently on May 15, 2015 called for recount of 30 boxes. Both requests were rejected by the Chairman and GECOM.

On May 15th, President Ramotar made a public announcement, wherein he stated,

“The results of the 2015 General and Regional elections have been declared by the Guyana Elections Commission unfortunately these results have been shrouded in controversy…

While we are disappointed, hurt and aggrieved, I urge you to remain calm in the face of widespread provocation associated with triumphalism…

My Party remains convinced that a recount would have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that the electoral processes had been compromised and the PPP/C would have won… We have agreed to pursue options for the redress under the constitution and the law including an elections petition.”

A large Transition team was set up and commenced meeting on Monday May 18th, headed by Dr Luncheon for the outgoing administration and Mr Joseph Harmon for President Granger.

This is the third transition of government.

Mr Granger must live his owns words of June 14th: “My concern is for Guyana, what is best for Guyana. I would swim any river, climb any mountain, go into any alleyway to ensure that the interests of the Guyanese people are protected. The welfare of the Guyanese people is my greatest concern. I am Guyanese… I want to see future generations happy. Guyana is my whole life.”

If these words are true, Mr Granger must now tell his supporters and the country the truth, no matter how much it hurts. By this act alone Mr Granger will release GECOM from the tentacles of the rigging cabal and allow it to execute its constitutional duties unhindered; it will allow for the transition preparations to commence.

There is a small window left, Mr Granger, unshackle our people, let us breathe again, the people and country will thank you; your legacy will be redeemed.