The International Center for Democracy, a New York based organization has applauded the decision of the Guyana High Court to dismiss the election petition which was filed by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change, APNU/AFC, coalition.
The ICD was present in Guyana for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and witnessed first-hand the “blatant and deliberate attempt” by officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)and the APNU/AFC regime to “hijack and rob the Guyanese electorate of their democratic right “to choose their government by perverting the tabulation process.
Despite the long delay in the recount process, the Peoples Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) was declared the winner on August of 2020. The ICD and other observer groups had concluded shortly after the March 2, 2020 elections, based on the Statement of Polls (SOP’s), that the PPP/C was the clear winner of the elections.
In a statement, the organisation said: “The ruling by the Honorable Chief Justice Roxanne George concluded that the victor of the March 2, 2020 Elections was indeed the PPP/C and that the APNU/AFC claim that the election process was flawed was simply unsubstantiated.”
It added that “Now that the judiciary has ruled, the ICD demands that the Opposition Leader of the APNU/AFC, Joseph Harmon, do the right thing and accept the decision of the court, publicly recognize the PPP/C as the legitimate government and refrain from encouraging his supporters to participate in lawless and destructive protesting.”
The ICD said it also demands that the Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, work with the Irfaan Ali government to promote the national interest of Guyana.
The ICD said it will continue in its unwavering support of democratic principles and values to ensure that the will of the people prevail in Guyana and that the democratic rights of the Guyanese people are not trampled upon.
