Nagamootoo praises Granger for reversing his quarantine decision

…insists he was not “intimidated” or “coerced
Days after caretaker President David Granger reversed Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s controversial decision to quarantine election recount observers from the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Nagamootoo has defended the President’s intervention.

During his most recent press conference in his capacity as Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Nagamootoo was of the view that the President had a right to reverse his decision, which had touched off intense criticism.

“When decisions such as those that we have taken regarding the participation of Caricom nationals in any event in

Guyana, we had to be guided by the stipulations that we have made. And it is for the President, after consultation and representation, to tell us whether we can relax the specific measure.”
“We have not backpedalled on any issue. We’re always open to suggestions; we’re open to guidance and constructive suggestions. We have been flexing, we have been flexible and we adapt to any particular circumstance, particularly those of a national significance,” he said.
Nagamootoo also insisted that there was “no coercion, no intimidation” behind the President’s intervention, which led to the decision to quarantine observers being amended to pre-testing them for coronavirus in their home countries.
“I want to let you know there was no coercion, intimidation or any other consideration except for us, the health and safety of the Guyanese people come first. And the measures we will advise on is to protect our people,” Nagamootoo said.
It has already been over a month of controversies and a credible winner for the 2020 General and Regional Elections is yet to be declared. After two declarations from Region Four’s (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, which lacked transparency, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and caretaker President David Granger had agreed to have the Caribbean Community (caricom) oversee the recount.
That agreement was derailed when A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) candidate, Ulita Moore, moved to the courts and secured an injunction against the exercise.
That injunction was discharged by the Full Court and later, the Full Court’s decision was upheld by the Appeals Court. GECOM has since re-invited Caricom, although there is no word on whether they will accept the invitation.
The latest controversy came over a week ago after caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo instructed the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), a constitutional body, that it cannot extend its recount into curfew hours.
Inexplicably, Nagamootoo also informed GECOM that observers granted special permission to oversee the recount must quarantine for 14 days after arriving, again delaying the exercise.
After an outcry from the PPP, however, these stipulations were relaxed. A decision was made for the 06:00h to 18:00h curfew to be relaxed and for foreigners coming here to observe the process to be pre-tested in their own countries as against being quarantined for fourteen days upon their arrival here.
It would not be the only time Nagamootoo has taken a position that has been rebuffed by the President. On Thursday Nagamootoo had suggested that international agencies might be reluctant to help Guyana until a President is sworn in, resulting in the Ministry of the Presidency issuing a statement denying this.