“It is the end” of APNU/AFC Govt – Ramjattan concedes defeat

…admits PPP/C beat coalition by over 15,000 votes

Anticipating being ousted from Executive power soon, caretaker Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has finally conceded defeat, telling his employees that the figures clearly show that the PPP/C has won the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

“The numbers were against us…the PPP has beaten us by some 15,000 votes,” Ramjattan, told his staff during a farewell speech this week.
Ramjattan is an executive member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), the smaller faction of the APNU/AFC coalition; he was also the party’s Prime Ministerial Candidate for the elections held more than three months ago.
Like many other senior coalition officials, Ramjattan, who was the Prime Ministerial Candidate for the APNU/AFC, had refused to accept defeat and had joined the bandwagon, peddling unsubstantiated claims in a desperate attempt to cling on to power – effectively denying the will of the people.
From making allegations of Russians interfering in the elections to claims of dead and migrated persons voting, Ramjattan has now admitted that “it is the end” of the APNU/AFC coalition Government.
“I am prepared to accept and move on,” he expressed, noting that the loss of an election is “not the death penalty”.
The PPP/C has won the March 2 elections by 15,416 votes over its nearest political rival, the APNU/AFC coalition – which has been refusing to accept defeat and has attempted, on many occasions, to alter the results of the elections.
Now, in what has been described as a last-ditch effort to thwart the will of the people, the APNU/AFC – through one of its supporters – has filed legal action to block the elections declaration.
That case comes up for hearing at 11:00h today in the Court of Appeal; GECOM Chair Justice Claudette Singh has since asked for the motion to be rejected.
Notwithstanding the falsehoods the coalition has been feeding its supporters, Ramjattan expressed hope for a “soft landing” once the declaration is made.
In fact, the caretaker Minister said he already spoke with the Police Commissioner, Leslie James, to ensure everything would be under control post declaration.
On Tuesday, hours after Guyana Elections Commission Chair, Claudette Singh, directed the Chief Elections Officer to prepare his final elections report using recount tabulation results, Ramjattan said the APNU/AFC would have to accept the declaration.
Ramjattan is quoted by local online news entity Demerara Waves as saying: “We’ll have to respect her decision. I have indicated that I certainly will; that’s my position, and we all agree that we are going to respect her decision.”
He is quoted by Demerara Waves as saying that the party is bound by the constitutional entity and, “…we are bound to by law, and we are bound by the procedures.”
“That constitutional entity is GECOM, and if GECOM makes the declaration, whether it’s by majority 4-3, or if it is a majority of seven; whatever it is, we respect that and we move on as a country. There’ll be lots to say by all politicians, but we’ll have to move on,” Ramjattan is quoted by the local online news entity as saying.
On April 21, Ramjattan told the media that if the National Recount shows that People’s Progressive Party/Civic wins the General and Regional Elections, he will be the first to congratulate the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali.
“I would immediately congratulate Irfaan Ali and tell him, ‘God bless,’ and, ‘I am here to give as much support as possible’,” Ramjattan had said.