FITUG joins calls for Govt to allow Carter Center’s return for recount

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) said that it is appalled that the now de-facto Government of Guyana has not approved requests to allow representatives of the Carter Centre (CC) and the International Republic Institute (IRI)to participate in the soon to commence recount of ballots cast in the March 02, 2020 National and Regional Elections.

Over the weekend, the United States-based Carter Center disclosed that it was trying to seek permission from the Guyana government to return to Guyana on Monday on a flight that was leaving Miami for Georgetown to take home stranded US citizens. However, the organisation said the flight was denied permission to carry any international elections observers, which included representatives from the International Republic Institute (IRI), which had provided technical support to GECOM.
According to a statement from the Federation on Monday, “The inexplicable denial is yet only further confirmation that the governing Coalition clearly has something to hide. Certainly, how else could one explain the refusal of having more eyes on the process?”
FITUG pointed out that this denial of permission comes only days after the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition sought to have the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) consider preventing party representatives and other observers and officials from possessing their cellular phones during the recount.
“Apart from that, we have seen too their vehement opposition and the invocation of incredulous rationales regarding the live streaming of the recount. For a political grouping which has, on several occasions, pointed out that it emerged victorious, their actions hardly confirm their utterances. The Federation wishes to remind, in this regard, that actions speak louder than words.”
Following high drama after the general and regional elections, the Returning Officer of Region Four (Demerara – Mahaica), Clairmont Mingo, had declared unverified results of the largest electoral district, Region Four, which many observer missions including the Carter Center has deemed as lacking credibility and called for a recount.
As such, FITUG is of the view that if the caretaker President believes that he won the elections, he should approve the request for the observers to return to Guyana.
“We gather that the request for the observers’ presence has now been taken up at the highest levels. Presumably, we gather that to mean with President David Granger. It was the President himself who sought the recount ostensibly to clear up any doubt regarding the victor. Certainly, if the President were genuine, he would not hesitate in approving the request which were denied by his underlings. Understandably, any winner would want to demonstrate beyond any shadow of doubt that they fairly and credibly won an election. To do otherwise tells another story in itself.”
Moreover, FITUG is urging that representatives of the Carter Center and the IRI be allowed to travel to Guyana and to participate in the recount.
“Clearly, they do not have the well-being of our people and nation at heart but just a lust for power, privileges and perks. We in Guyana have seen the consequences of such actions in the past. We have collectively worked to erase the legacy of that sordid period of our history and we should not return to such an ignoble time every again.”
Both Canadian and U.S. governments have been making similar calls with respect to the CC being allowed to observe the national recount which is slated to commence on May 6, 2020 at the Author Chung Conference Centre.
Only Sunday, another local organisation and accredited observer, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) wrote Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) – the agency with responsibility for granting approval for commercial flights amid the closure of the borders, Moses Nagamootoo, pointing out that it is integral to democracy and a democratic process that the international observers, who reinforce the credibility of the election process, are present for the recount.
“The presence of the Carter Centre, a recognised body for ensuring credibility of the democratic process internationally and a long-standing partner and friend of Guyana, will be important for bolstering the process in Guyana,” it posited. But was unsuccessful in its plead to have the observers return on Monday’s humanitarian flight.