“Every vote must be counted in presence of parties, observers” – Caricom Chair

…St Vincent Govt supports call for credible tabulation

Chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has insisted that the verification process of Region 4 tabulation must be completed in the presence of all political parties as well as the various electoral observers.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves

Mottley made this statement on Saturday in which she reiterated appeals for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to complete the electoral process which was abandoned by the Region Four Returning Officer who went ahead to illegally declare the results of the region on Thursday without completing the verification process.

“The Caribbean Community calls on the electoral officials in Guyana and the

Caricom Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley

representative political parties to work together to achieve a peaceful and lawful completion of the electoral process in Guyana by ensuring the tabulation of the results in all Regions using the Statements of Poll in a transparent manner in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and the electoral observers,” the Caricom Chair said on Saturday.
She went on to say that Caricom, as well as the independent Elections Observer Missions (EOM) that were deployed to monitor the March 2 General and Regional Elections in Guyana, was very clear in its position that every vote must be made to count and transparently so.
PM Mottley said she is simply asking parties to recognise that the primary consideration must not only be who will be President but, more so, who will be alive come next week or next month, for there cannot be a tolerance for any further loss of life.
Moreover, the Barbadian Head of State added that she has spoken to both President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, and indicated that Caricom stands ready to be able to be there to facilitate further dialogue and any actions that are necessary.
This statement from the Caricom Chair was affirmed by Guyana’s regional counterpart, St Vincent and the Grenadines. In a statement on Saturday, the Member State joined with the elections observer missions from Caricom, the hemisphere and internationally in expressing grave concern about the processes and procedures employed in the counting of the votes in the recent Guyana elections in Region Four.
It too underscored the importance of ensuring every vote is count.
“It is imperative that the election authorities in Guyana count every vote in accordance with the established law, procedure and best practices so as to lend credibility to the results. It has been a hallmark of our democratic Caricom that each vote be counted and that such counting be done transparently and in the presence of all competing political parties and accredited independent observers. Anything short of this will inevitably cast doubt on the results,” the statement from the Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves-led administration stated.
The missive noted that as a founding member of Caricom, Guyana is vital to the Caribbean civilisation and as such, the St Vincent Government urge peace and calm in the country.
“This is a time for statesmanship. The Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines respects the sovereignty and independence of Guyana, and expects a resolution to the impasse over the counting of votes in Region [Four] to be resolved impartially by the relevant institutions in Guyana,” the Caricom Member State added.
Meanwhile, the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM) has also expressed concerns over the current situation in Guyana and urges all parties to ensure that the election process is fairly and transparently completed and that the rule of law is fully respected.
“Sustainable economic growth and development rest upon robust democratic principles and the rule of law. We note with concern the reports of protest becoming violent. We urge all leaders in Guyana to support the rule of law and to restore calm for the protection of life and property,” the Dominica-based private sector body noted.
CARICHAM is the representative body for Chambers of Commerce in 19 countries from across the Caribbean region, inclusive of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and our respective membership from the Private Sector.a