after 22 years – new government carrying on wave of change in regional governments
President David Granger
May 15, 2015 – Up to late Friday, it had not been official who would form the next Government in Guyana . This even after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had released the preliminary results for all 2,299 polling stations, giving the opposition alliance, comprising A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) a total of 206,817 votes as against 201,457 for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
Guyana’s politics have been divided along racial lines with the PPP/C relying heavily on the Indo-Guyanese vote and the APNU looking to the Afro-Guyanese population for its base.
Three and a half years ago, November 28, 2011, General elections were held in Guyana victory for the PPP/C which won 32 of the 65 seats. The other parties APNU and AFC had won the other 33, but since they had not coalesced prior to the elections, according to the Guyana Constitution, the party with the single most seats took the reigns of Government. The result of course with the two party with 33 seats holding firm, governing was almost impossible. Eventually, to avoid an obvious successful vote of ‘no confidence, general elections were called.
Since Wednesday supporters for the APNU+AFC. For these people of Guyana they had already been celebrating as reportedly,
“Allegations reported on May 11 were investigated by international observer missions, and no evidence was found of anomalies that would have a material impact upon results. Similarly, no evidence has been provided for allegations reported,” the British High Commission having aid it has not found any evidence to support the PPPC’s allegations.
The missions said: “We remain confident in GECOM’s ability to deliver an accurate result and urge them to produce a final tally as soon as possible. We also urge all to continue to exercise patience, support the work of GECOM, and respect its final result.”
The elections took place on Monday and counting began in the night. “Allegations reported on May 11 were investigated by international observer missions, and no evidence was found of anomalies that would have a material impact upon results. Similarly, no evidence has been provided for allegations reported.”
Outgoing President Donald Ramotar greeting his successor, David Granger
The British High Commission said it has not found any evidence to support the PPPC’s allegations.
“We remain confident in GECOM’s ability to deliver an accurate result and urge them to produce a final tally as soon as possible. We also urge all to continue to exercise patience, support the work of GECOM, and respect its final result.”
The European Union (EU) became involved and called on the political parties disputing the preliminary results of Monday’s regional and general elections to settle the matter in the courts.
The EU said in a statement “The EU calls on all actors to respect the legal procedures and address any possible grievance through the channels established by the law.”
The US Embassy said, “nothing contained therein changes our baseline assessment of the electoral process. Based on our observations of the polling, counting, and tabulation process and the conclusions reached by other international observer missions, we continue to assess that the election process was free and fair.”
There were many observer missions. The Carter Center (former US President Carter), which was one of many regional and international groups monitoring the polls, had said it “is deeply concerned about the provocative rhetoric in the campaign and condemned any attempt to sow fear and distrust among Guyana’s ethnic groups or to undermine confidence in its electoral process and institutions”.
The Carter Center, had also said earlier the election is probably the most important since the watershed elections of 1992 and called on citizens and party leaders to act responsibly and exercise patience during the voting tabulation process by GECOM.
But even after Thursday, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) having released the preliminary results the PPP/C, which had been seeking to extend its 22 years in office, called for a recount in all 10 regions of Guyana and has said that it is not accepting the results based on various irregularities.
Earlier in the week, Attorney General Anil Nandlall told a news conference that the party was within its legal right to seek the recount.
Nandlall said that he wanted to dispel suggestions that the time for calling for a recount noting “that notion which is being peddled out there is not consistent with what the law says.
Asked whether the party was contemplating going to the courts in a bid to prevent GECOM from disclosing the results of the polls, Nandlall said “I keep hearing that since yesterday…as far as I am aware as of now the party is not preparing anything to go to court.
“Not that we will not go to court if that eventuality arises if we should deem it necessary, but as of now there seems to be some view out there…the PPP wants to delay the declaration of the results we reject that notion.
As international congratulatory messages began pouring in, with the European Union saying that the elections were “largely peaceful, transparent and inclusive with a high turnout and mood performance of electoral authorities” commending GECOM “for an efficient and well-organised election process”, on Thursday, the PPP/C sent what it termed a “Memorandum to the Diplomatic Community”, outlining what it were the “irregularities (that) plagued the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections including specifically the voting at polling stations and the processing of the voting by GECOM electoral staff and others”.
In statements, the US Embassy, the Canadian High Commission and the British High Commission said nothing contained therein changes our baseline assessment of the electoral process.
“By today however there appeared to be a split within the (PPP/C) even though President Donald Ramaotar has failed to concede defeat in Monday’s general election to the coalition alliance of A Partnership for National Unity (PNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC).”
At least two senior ministers have accepted the preliminary results of the regional and general elections released by the Guyana Elections Commission showing that the APNU+AFC had received a total of 206,817 votes as against 201, 457 for PPP/C.
On her Facebook page, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told her staff she wanted to thank them for ensuring that her stay “was a rewarding and happy one. Thank you for your dedication, professionalism and cooperation, which helped to make my job an easier one and more than that move the Ministry to a higher level.”
Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud also took to Facebook to concede defeat and call for government of national unity.
He said the victory by the opposition alliance provides “a grand, historical opportunity to change the paradigm of how we govern and make everyone feel truly a part of the future as we march to 50 years of independence.”
“Victory where all are winners, notwithstanding the showing of each party, Guyanese, all Guyanese, should feel included in continuing to build a prosperous and cohesive society,” he added.
While since Tuesday, the main opposition coalition alliance claimed victory in the general election even though the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was yet to make an official statement on the results regarding Monday’s poll, the PPP/C were still making waves about unfairness and irregularities in the elections, there were calls on them to concede.
The new president is David Granger, and he told a news conference that the coalition had been tabulating the statements of polls since Tuesday.
Guyana’s top diplomat Ambassador Odeem Ishmael has publicly called on the PPP/C to concede defeat, adding “it is my firm opinion that the PPP should concede since any recount will not statistically change the result of the elections as announced by GECOM”.
Ishamel, Guyana’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kuwait and a former senior member of the PPP/C’s central committee, wrote on Facebook that by conceding victory, President Ramotar will in no lesser way demonstrate the unity that is needed to take Guyana forward.
Meanwhile, Roman Catholic Bishop, Francis Alleyne, has called on the PPP/C to accept the results of Monday’s polls.
He said the “exemplary conduct of the people in turning out, exercising their civil responsibility and waiting patiently as well as the various endorsements on the electoral process” are a credit to all Guyana and that deserves the greatest respect.
Bishop Alleyne said Guyana’s faith traditions teach citizens that “the person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society – in economics and politics, in law and policy – directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community”.
“I pray that as a people we encourage and support one another in broad-based inclusion in the governance and life of the nation.”
