US, Canada pile pressure on GECOM to make declarations

The US State Department has supported the ruling handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the Jagdeo, Ali et al appeal case and called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to declare the winner of the March 2, 2020 Election using the recount figures.

Acting Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, tweeted yesterday: “The @CaribbeanCourt had ruled. It is time for #GECOM to declare the winner of Guyana’s election based on the national recount vote.”

Kozak stated that “The will of Guyana’s voters cannot be ignored.”
The recount figures show that the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) won the March 2 polls with 233,336 valid votes while the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition trailed behind with 217,920 valid votes.

Those figures saw a recount, which tipped in the opposition’s favour, and as such, Dr. Irfaan Ali as the country’s next president.
It has been more than four months since the elections with Guyana in limbo and facing the negative impacts of COVID-19.

Joining Kozak yesterday was Michael Grant, Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas.
He noted the important ruling yesterday from the CCJ in a tweet.
“It’s time for the election results to be announced by #GECOM based on the recount. No more delays.”