PPP/C wants confusion, APNU/AFC says

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has called out members of the Opposition party for spreading a false narratives on the elections outcome and intentionally creating confusion having realised that the most recent results give the coalition government the lead.

In a release on Sunday, the coalition party discredited the reports of People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive Gail Teixeira who had posted a video to Facebook on Sunday in which she made several claims against the APNU+AFC.

She responded to comments made by APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes regarding the present election gridlock and the presence of unauthorized foreign agents who have been accused of attempting to meddle in Guyana’s elections.

The Ministers had revealed that three persons with Russian background had recently been deported after cyber equipment was found in their possession.

The matter raised eyebrows as, in 2019, the Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C hired US lobby group, Mercury Public Affairs, to help run its elections campaign. At the time, the firm was embroiled in the international probe into alleged Russian interference in US elections.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
The release stated that in her attempt to “clear the air”, Teixeira accused the Coalition of attempting to steal the election stating that the people had lost confidence in the government, hence the December 2018 no-confidence motion.

“We reject this narrative because at its core is the delegitimization of the will of the people as expressed on March 2, 2020 by way of the ballot boxes. When those results are certified, they will vindicate the Coalition as having won outright the March 2, election,” the release stated.

“Perhaps the most paradoxically of her statements was the one falsely claiming that the government has no public support; when in fact, the votes declared thus far show a majority of support for the governing coalition. When the formal process in completed, the APNU+AFC Coalition would have secured a majority which in itself is a vote of confidence from the Guyanese people.”

Teixeira also accused the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of “creating Statements of Polls” after the Region Four declarations did not secure her party the lead.

She said that at some remote locations the Commission created SOPs to match the spreadsheet later used which caused much contention prior to the declaration.

The APNU/AFC rebutted that such a narrative is not only “absurd” but shows desperation on the part of the PPP/C. It urged all right-thinking Guyanese to reject the Opposition’s sentiments irrespective of political affiliation as GECOM is the only body empowered to make the final declaration on Guyana’s elections.

It noted that social media video footage which show a large amount of Opposition members storming the Commission’s High and Hadfield Streets office is proof of their intent to create confusion through intimidating behaviour.

INTENTIONALLY CAUSING CONFUSION
A question every Guyanese should ask, the APNU/AFC stated, is why the PPP/C has chosen to raise “unsubstantiated and bogus claims” about the vote count in Region 4 — a traditional stronghold of the coalition.

The party also highlighted that questions should be asked about why the Opposition is seeking to have GECOM treat with the vote tabulation process in Region 4 differently from all other Regions.

Nonetheless, the party upheld: “This video post by Ms. Teixeira will not change the facts on the ground, that PPP/C is fomenting discord and friction among the populace and create an ungovernable environment for the government. PPP/C must therefore be prepared to accept responsibility for any negative outcome from its action and incitement.”