- says “Once it’s in accordance with the Constitution”
Incumbent President David Granger this morning (Sunday, May 17, 2020) reaffirmed that his government will accept whatever declaration is made by Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, even if it is based on the ongoing national recount of the votes cast at the March 2 elections.
“Whatever declaration is made by the Chairman of the Elections Commission would be regarded as legitimate by the Coalition government,” he told reporters during a press briefing after his visit to the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) where the recount is being conducted.
This comes one day after Attorney General Basil Williams told reporters that any results coming out of the recount would be illegal. He said that the Laws of Guyana does not “cater for a national recount”.
Williams contended that the 10 declarations, including the contentious declaration made by embattled Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo for District Four (Demerara-Mahaica Region), are “valid and subsisting and under our law, the only way they could be rendered nugatory is by a decision of an election petition and so it comes to the other status, question and purpose of the national recount.”
However, when asked about this position by one of his Senior Legal Advisor, President Granger maintained his position.
“As president of Guyana and Leader of the government, it is my policy that any declaration coming from the Chairman of GECOM would be accepted by the government of Guyana. I speak for the government of Guyana,” he asserted.
Further asked whether there will be any legal challenges by his party, the APNU/AFC Coalition, to the national recount and its outcomes, the caretaker Head of State iterated that “whatever declaration comes out of the Chairman of the Elections Commission would be regarded as legitimate and in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana
