Threats of Sanctions ‘Loose Talk’

WASHINGTON DC Attorney, Dr. Bart Fisher, has described the threats of sanctions to Guyana by United States (U.S.) senators, congressmen and Department of State as mere “loose talk” and interference in the affairs of Guyana’s elections.

Reports are that many of those who spoke on behalf of the U.S. were heavily lobbied for by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) through Mercury Public Affairs, a Trump Campaign political consulting firm.

Appearing as a guest on the radio programme, ‘Straight Up Live’, on Saturday, Dr. Fisher summed up his position on the matter, stating: “There had been some loose talk by the State Department about possible sanctions and that was preposterous at the time but now, in light of this Court decision, it’s even more ludicrous to talk about sanctions. I don’t see how you could sanction somebody for having an election based on valid votes.”

Dr. Fisher has been following the elections unfolding in Guyana and has heard the calls for sanctions to be heaped on the country, led out by its Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. He has also heard the threats coming from U.S. senators, congressmen and Department of State and believes that their involvement amounts to interference.

“The people of Guyana should just breathe easily now; just let the Commission do its thing and respect what Keith Lowenfield comes up with, that’s his job,” he urged. Speaking to the ruling of the Court of Appeal, he added: “It was a big day for the rule of law and from the U.S. standpoint I think it’s very important to not interfere and let the Commission do its thing.”

Dr. Fisher’s view is that the Appellate Court gave a fair ruling in the elections matter and such ruling should have come as obvious to all parties involved.

“It seemed to me, rather obvious, that you would just want to have a recount based on valid votes,” he stated. “Why would you want to have a recount and base it on invalid votes? So, for me, it was just a blinding glimpse of the obvious.”

While some politicians have made it out to be highly impossible that Guyana could experience cases such as voter impersonation, Dr. Fisher said that even well-developed countries like the United States have been affected by such cases.

“In U.S. politics, it’s not a phenomenon also to have the ‘dead man’ vote, so, basically, we’re back to the principle of how do we proceed and we should proceed with valid votes,” he said.

On previous occasions, the Attorney has applauded the statement of U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, that the U.S. is entirely nonpartisan about which party wins Guyana’s 2020 election, and that she supports a transparent and credible recount process.

“The international community needs to respect Guyana’s sovereignty, and the U.S. needs to let the lawful election process proceed in an open and transparent manner. The U.S. did not appreciate foreign interference in its 2016 election, and should not interfere in Guyana’s election. Let Guyana handle its electoral process. Let Guyana breathe,” he wrote in a public opinion piece.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Co-chair of the Caribbean Caucus in the US House of Representatives, in blistering comments, condemned foreign interference in Guyana’s elections process.

The Congresswoman said she has been monitoring what has been taking place in Guyana and is eager to get back to Washington to be fully briefed on what the State Department is actually doing in Guyana and is willing to take strong action if necessary.

“We know what’s at stake in Guyana right now. It’s not just the sovereignty, it’s the wealth. We have some corrupt, I called them ‘pirates’, governing the United States right now. And I’m very concerned about undue influence of corporations and entities outside of Guyana determining the fate of the Guyanese people. That cannot happen. I would encourage everyone, Guyanese Americans, to let your voices be known,” Clarke has urged.