European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz-Canto has lamented the unresolved state of Guyana’s election and the fact that after two months, it is not a good place for Guyana to be in.
In a recent interview with the News Room, Ponz-Canto was asked his thoughts on the ongoing national recount at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). He expressed his hopes that it can be concluded in a credible manner and Guyanese can have a timely conclusion to the election.
“This is a process that Guyana has decided to do. It’s something the top leaders have decided to do. We and everyone consider it fundamental that this process is now conducted credibly, transparently, properly. After all, the country has already waited for too long,” the diplomat said.
“It is not a good thing that two months after the elections, there is still no official credible results proclaimed. As friends of Guyana, we and the majority of Guyanese want them to declare the results in a credible way and whoever won be the one to form the Government. Whoever that is, we will work with them. For that, we need an interlocutor who is democratically installed.”
Asked whether it is likely that the full EU observation mission will return to Guyana, he noted that the EU delegation has already sent two of its permanent staff from Kingston to the recount centre. He thanked GECOM for inviting them, noting that “the more transparent the process is, the more acceptable the result will be.”
Ponz-Canto was also asked to comment on the EU’s relationship with Guyana in light of the election imbroglio. He explained that the relationship is a good one, one the EU is desirous of continuing and even improving.
It has already been over two months of controversies and a credible winner for the March 2 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.
