CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, this morning, said that the Caribbean Community is concerned by the Chief Elections Officer’s report of March 2 General and Regional Elections.
In a video statement, Prime Minister Mottley said CEO Keith Lowenfield’s numbers cannot vary from those coming out of the national recount which was observed by a CARICOM high-level team. She noted that from the inception, CARICOM has been clear in consistently calling for every vote to be counted in a fair and transparent manner.
“Regrettably, we’ve seen a level of gamesmanship that has left much to be desired and that has definitely not portrayed our Caribbean Region in the best light. This is definitely not our finest hour and we must not shy away from that reality. The Caribbean Community is concerned that reports that the Chief Elections Officer has submitted a report to the Guyana Elections Commission which is contrary to the directions given by the Guyana Elections Commission and which does not reflect the results of the recount process as certified by the very staff of the Guyana Elections Commission and indeed witnessed by representatives of the political parties,” the CARICOM Chair said.
“Indeed, these numbers and the certification of them were also witnessed by our CARICOM Observer Team. They travel to Guyana in spite of the pandemic and the risk to themselves and they scrutinize the recount process. The CARICOM Observer Team was of the unshakable believe that the people of Guyana expressed their at the ballot box on March 2 and that the results of the recount certified as valid by the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission lead to an orderly conclusion on which the declaration of the results of the election could and would be made,” she added.
Mottley said the actions of Lowenfield now begs the question on what grounds and by what form of executive sanction can he determine the invalidation of over 115,000 votes. She reiterated that those votes, now deemed as invalid by Lowenfield, were already certified as valid by GECOM’s Officer in the presence of political parties and observers.
She reminded that the if anyone alleges or provides evidence of fraudulent or improper conduct then there is a clear and well-accepted route to deal with these matters. She identified that those allegations should be addressed in an elections petition to an Election Court.
“Any attempt to provide number is different from those certified by the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission has left many in shock and wondering what next will happen to frustrate the will of the Guyanese people. The role and focus of political parties must be useful and not obstructive in embracing and promoting the clear and expressed will of the people. And when we confuse and frustrate that will is when we begin to sow the seeds of discord and acrimony that we are sworn to dissuade and discourage,” Prime Minister Mottley said.
The CARICOM Chair said the Community holds the strong view that no voter must be disenfranchised in determining the credibility any election while adding that it is the commitment to a fair and transparent political process that led CARICOM to send two Electoral Observer Mission to Guyana.
“As you await the finalization of this process. We urge you again that you be patient and that you be committed to the fact that no electoral process can replace the life of any Guyanese or anyone for that matter. There must be room for all regardless of who wins and who loses. I assure you that the Community remains committed to the people of Guyana and remains resolute that the report of its Observer Mission is very clear in its conclusions as to the will of the Guyanese people as reflected in the recount which they monitored,” Mottley said.
The CARICOM Team concluded that the recount process was credible and that the numbers coming out from it reflected a win by over 15,000 votes for the PPP/C.
