Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chairman and Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and Trade, on Wednesday, urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to promptly declare the results of the March 2, polls in order for a democratic transition of government to begin.
“We commend the people of Guyana for their remarkable patience over the last four months, but they have waited far too long. GECOM must promptly issue a Declaration of Results and begin the democratic transition process,” the Senators said in a statement today.
While the two Congressmen expressed their reservations about the administration’s style, they were emphatic in their support of their action on Guyana.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, earlier today, announced that visa restrictions have been imposed on Guyana Government and elections officials for undermining this country’s democracy.
The politicians who had travelled to Guyana in January, endorsed the calls being made for the electoral body to move ahead in using the recount results as the basis for a declaration.
According to the Congressmen, CARICOM, the Organization of American States, diplomatic missions, and domestic civil society organizations all confirmed that the recount was completed in a professional and transparent manner, providing the basis for a declaration of the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
“We strongly support the multilateral efforts made to support the people of Guyana throughout this process, which have been led by CARICOM and supported by the U.S. Embassy, the European Union, the Canadian and British High Commissions, and the Organization of American States”.
“We condemn all efforts to undermine the credibility of the March 2nd election, including recent actions taken by the Chief Elections Officer to effectively disenfranchise thousands of voters and manipulate the vote count.
“We fully support GECOM Chairwoman Claudette Singh’s decision to dismiss all of the Chief Elections Officer’s fraudulent reports and are confident that she will declare a winner based on the actual vote count, as certified through the recount process.
“Guyana’s leaders must prioritize national unity and the long-term health of Guyana’s democratic institutions and abide by the will of the Guyanese people, as reflected in the recount results,” the Senators added.
The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has won the elections with 233,336 votes, according to the results of the national recount exercise.
But the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition is refusing to concede defeat despite mounting international pressure.
