March 6, 2020 protest: Guyanese must never forget their bravery in safeguarding democracy – PPP GS

…says persons still living with pellets in their bodies after being shot

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has reflected on the courage and resilience of the Guyanese people in protecting the country’s democracy on March 6, 2020, emphasising the need to remember and learn from the past to prevent history from repeating itself.
Speaking on the significance of the day, Jagdeo remarked, “It is often said that we have an extraordinarily short memory in Guyana, but that is not true. Our people remember things for a long time, though we sometimes block out traumatic national events. And if you ask people today what happened on March 6, 2020, many will generally recall that there were issues surrounding the elections and that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) attempted to steal the elections. But the specific details tend to be forgotten.”
He underscored the importance of keeping these memories alive, stating that vigilance is crucial whenever freedoms are under threat. Jagdeo reminded Guyanese that just a few years ago, in 2020, their rights were severely endangered, and the country could have taken a drastically ‘different path had APNU succeeded in its alleged attempt to rig the elections’.
He credited the Guyanese people and the international community for preventing APNU from prevailing, acknowledging the immense courage demonstrated by citizens who took to the streets to defend their democratic rights. “On March 6, 2020, we saw massive protests in Lusignan, Cotton Tree, and Bush Lot. Many young people came out because they had been following the election events and saw the blatant fraud taking place. APNU was trying to steal the elections through fraudulent declarations, and the people were not going to stand for it.”
Furthermore, the Vice President paid tribute to the young men and women who took to the streets in protest, only to be met with gunfire ordered by the then-administration. Peaceful demonstrators exercising their democratic right to protest were also targeted with pellets, causing lifelong injuries.

Pellets
“I met with a group of people just months after taking office. Over 35 individuals had large amounts of pellets embedded in their bodies. One young woman had over 70 pellets lodged in different parts of her body. When we sought medical intervention, doctors said it was too dangerous to remove all of them. Today, many of these brave young Guyanese continue to live with pain as a stark reminder of that dark period and their heroism in standing up for what is right.”
Jagdeo stressed that these individuals fought not just for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) but for the entire nation. “They fought to protect the future of this country because when a nation loses its democracy, it also loses civil and human rights. We must never forget their sacrifices.”
He also honored those who vigilantly guarded the ballot boxes and containers night after night, recognising the real fear that APNU might attempt to destroy evidence ahead of the recount. “We knew that a recount was necessary, and we feared APNU would erase any trace of the actual results. Families, including young children, stood guard, recognizing that this was a pivotal moment in our nation’s history.”
After a nearly smooth polling day on March 2, 2020, Guyana was embroiled in a prolonged electoral impasse for five months following blatant attempts by senior GECOM officials and the then People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government, which refused to concede defeat and demit office.
The ABCE diplomatic missions in Guyana, at the time, were vocal in their calls for democracy to prevail and for the will of the Guyanese people be respected. In fact, even after a Caricom-led national recount confirmed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) electoral victory, the David Granger-led coalition regime continued with its delay tactics by moving to the courts.
The Western diplomats had deemed the tabulation process for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) – Guyana’s largest voting district – as lacking transparency and credibility. This was after attempts were made by embattled Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, along with others to inflate the votes in favour of the then coalition Administration.
As the electoral impasse continued months after the March 2020 polls, the ABCE diplomatic community continued mounting pressure on the APNU/AFC to concede defeat, warning of Guyana facing isolation and consequences.
In fact, the United States (US) had gone ahead to impose visa sanctions against several Government and electoral officials, and their immediate family members, for their role in undermining democracy in Guyana. The UK, Canada as well as the EU had also indicated that they were also considering following suit.
The heightened pressure from the West led to the APNU/AFC eventually conceding and allowed the Dr Irfaan Ali-led administration to finally take office on August 2, 2020.
Following those events, several senior GECOM officials and political activists have been charged and placed before the courts on a series of electoral fraud charges including misconduct while holding public office, presenting falsified documentation, and planning to manipulate Guyana’s voters by presenting an inaccurate vote total.
Those charged include former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; Deputy CEO, Roxanne Myers; former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, and GECOM employees, Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence and PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph, are also before the court on election fraud related charges. However, years after those charges were instituted in 2021, these cases continue to languish in the Magistrates’ Courts, marred with constant and prolonged delays.