Guyana will be crippled if foreign powers impose sanctions, but it will be necessary to bring oppressors to their knees, says Irfaan Ali, the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Ali, whose party won the March 2, 2020 General and Regional election, noted that sanctions may be needed as a result of the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) attempts to thwart democracy.
Foreign Governments, inclusive of the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union have warned that Guyana would be ostracising itself if a new government is formed on the basis of concocted figures.
In essence, the superpowers are warning of sanctions if the APNU/AFC and its rigging cabal succeeds.
The very threats of sanctions worry the PPP/C which has since been fighting to ensure that the will of Guyanese who voted at the March 02 General and Regional Elections are not derailed.
The figures emanating from the national recount of the ballots proves that the PPP/C won the majority by over 15,000 votes.
In an interview on Monday, at Television Guyana (TV-G) Channel 25 studio, Dr Ali said that the mere threat of sanctions has the ability to reduce the credibility of the country.
He explained that investors will question the stability before deciding to invest.
“You are looked at in a totally different light just by the threat of sanctions and especially when that threat is one relating to the rule of law, democracy and good governance. That is the hallmark of every nation. That is the core of every nation and when these are the things that are threatened…then your country is viewed as totally differently,” he noted.
Dr Ali furthered that this is an especially important time in Guyana’s economic development with it in the early stages of being an oil-producing nation and dealing with the global coronavirus pandemic that has the potential to cause tremendous damage to both the financial and economic systems.
He related that it is time for the rule of law and good governance to prevail since Guyana should be mobilising the support of international financial institutions and not be at an election impasse.
The former Housing and Water Minister explained that every aspect of livelihood would be affected should the superpowers decide to dish out sanctions on individuals complicit in committing electoral fraud. He explained that those sanctions would be more than just travelling restrictions.
“Financial flows will not come from the international organisations, our revenue from the oil and gas sector would be frozen, foreign investment will dry up. These are the types of things that will cripple our country and unfortunately, if this cabal continues in the way they are going then collectively as a nation, though the implications are grave, we would have to understand that sanctions would have to be there to bring those who are oppressing our country, to bring the oppressors of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law to their knees and make them answerable so that our country can return on a democratic pathway,” Dr Ali related.
