Guyana owes a debt of gratitude to the Caricom high-level Observation Team – Cynthia Barrow-Giles (St Lucia/Barbados), John Jarvis (Antigua and Barbuda), and Sylvester King (St Vincent and the Grenadines) – for the great personal sacrifices they have made in protecting and preserving our democracy at a most crucial time.
In the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and at a very short notice, the three-man team packed their bags and left their families behind to come to Guyana to observe the national recount of ballots cast in the March 2 polls, following the deepening of the political crisis here after Clairmont Mingo attempted on two occasions to illegally hand a victory to the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition.
In the most difficult of circumstances, working from early in the morning until late at night for over an entire month, the team kept a close watch on the recount process. While this may look like a straightforward task to many, the daily drama that unfolded at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), with the APNU/AFC making all sorts of unsubstantiated claims about voter impersonation and dead voters etc, was well documented in the media.
There were many impediments that were deliberately put in the way and were meant to stymie the recount process. For example, while there was a need to satisfy COVID-19 health guidelines at the recount venue, the highly politicised National Task Force did all they could have done to ensure that the number of workstations were kept at a minimum, to drag out the exercise. In any case, the Task Force should not have been involved in any way to dictate to GECOM what it can or cannot do. The recount was a GECOM exercise, and based on its constitutional mandate, the electoral body should have been free from any political control or direction from such an agency.
Additionally, the recount was initially supposed to last 25 days, ending on May 30, but it ended up being completed on June 6, as a considerable amount of time was wasted on sorting out frivolous issues, some of which could only be addressed by the High Court by way of an elections petition. The team stayed throughout the process, and not for a single day did we hear of any excuse of complaint.
The Team persevered, and was able to complete a very thorough report on their findings, which also included several useful recommendations in relation to electoral reforms. Their findings were endorsed by all stakeholders and confirmed what many already knew, that is: the March 2 General and Regional Elections were free and fair, and the results of the National Recount reflected the will of the electorate.
Barrow-Giles, Jarvis and King are indeed three Caribbean heroes, and they must be commended for doing their job with the highest level of professionalism and integrity. They never allowed themselves to be sucked into our political mess, nor to take sides at any time. In their report, they were blunt about what they saw. It is now up to political stakeholders here to study their recommendations carefully, and to possibly implement them in order to prevent our country from going down this dangerous path again.
As pointed out by respected Caribbean academician Sir Ronald Sanders, “At the end of all this – whenever that comes – these three persons deserve a special award as Champions of Caricom Democracy. And the Caribbean Community should bestow it upon them. They are not doing their jobs; this exercise is not their jobs; it is an act of self-sacrifice and dedication to democracy.”
That said, ever since Permanent Representative of Barbados to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ambassador Noel Lynch, on behalf of the Caricom Group during a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council back in May, said Caricom were “the most legitimate interlocutors” in Guyana’s National Recount, the APNU/AFC, including President David Granger, have been parroting that statement.
However, now that the Caricom Observer Team has concluded that the results emanating from the National Recount are credible, acceptable, and should be the basis from which GECOM declares the final results, the President has gone silent. The nation is patiently waiting for him to go by his own words and concede defeat.
