PPP never denied Carter Center Observation Team

Dear Editor,
Please permit me a space in your newspaper to respond to a statement made by Mr. Mark Benschop during his radio broadcast (1:41:40) on May 19, 2020, when he stated that: “In 2011, the very PPP, and now Opposition Leader, asked the Carter Center to leave and not to partake in any elections, especially under the PPP; and it’s ironic that the very PPP and their supporters are now protesting, calling for the return of Carter; in my opinion, [the] partisan observers, to return to the country to participate again.”
Editor, I wish to convey to readers that this is utterly untrue, and is a political gimmick to justify the actions of APNU+AFC: their consistent refusal to allow the return of the Carter Center to observe the March 2nd General and Regional Elections’ recount. Let me unequivocally say that, in 2011, the Carter Center was neither invited nor accredited, in the first place, to observe the 2011 General and Regional Elections under Section (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act. Therefore, the fictitious white lie: that the PPP told the Carter Center to leave and not to partake in any elections, especially under the PPP, is a figment of Mr. Benschop’s imagination, and must be repelled immediately.
Editor, Mr. Benschop further accused the same Carter Center — that deemed the 2015 General and Regional Elections as free, fair, and credible; for which the APNU+AFC was sworn in as the Government of Guyana — as being partisan. It is my opinion, Editor, that anyone who dares to speak the truth against the daily atrocities of the APNU+AFC automatically becomes allied against the Government; hence it begs the question: Why are we stuffing people’s mouths with cement?
Also, another lie that could be deciphered right from the demeaning statement is that the PPP vowed to never allow the Carter Center to return under their Government, when clearly the Carter Center returned for the 2015 General and Regional Election through an invitation issued by Mr. Ramotar, after consultation with the then GECOM Chairperson.
Nevertheless, Editor, I must convey these words of Mr. Datadin to the Guyanese population. He said them as a guest on Mr. Benschop’s radio programme, and I hope the people heed the words sincerely: “[lies] will fall on fertile ears, because there is so much distrust and hatred in Guyana that people want to believe that, and they don’t want to accept the reality; and so you sell them a lie and they will go with that, because it’s better than the reality.”

Regards,
Vejendra Datt