18
WEEKEND MIRROR 25-26 JULY, 2020
Coalition must ‘bring curtains down Delays with final declaration must end – PSC on three-ringed circus’ – FITUG T T he Private Sector Commission (PSC) stressed that it welcomed the comprehensive and detailed decision and rulings of the Chief Justice (ag), particularly on the matter of the validity of the Recount and, most importantly, on the relationship between the Chief Election Officer and GECOM. And stressed that the delays in a final declaration of results from the March 2020 Elections must end. In a statement on Tuesday (July 21, 2020) the PSC said, “The Private Sector Commission notes that the Chief Justice (ag) has specifically ruled that GECOM must declare the result of the elections only from the data of the Recount and that ‘the view expressed that any
irregularities would have to be addressed by an election petition’. “The Private Sector Commission has also noted that the Chief Justice (ag) has ruled that the Chief Election Officer is subject to the direction and control of the Commission in submitting his report to GECOM. “The Private Sector Commission, therefore, wishes to encourage the Chairman of GECOM to sanction no further delay in arriving at the declaration of the elections result from the Recount and to move with all due haste to the swearing in of the newly elected President of Guyana.” All considered, the PSC also rejected – “without reservation” – the position of the Guyana Public Service
Union (GPSU) Observer Team, which claimed that ‘the result of the March 2nd 2020 General and Regional Elections could not be credible’. The Commission said, “The Private Sector Commission finds it extraordinary and is extremely disappointed that the GPSU, presuming to speak for all Public Servants, would arrive at any decision other than to recognize, as every other Local and International Observer Mission has done, that the March 2nd elections were, in fact, conducted in a wholly credible manner and that alleged, undocumented and unproved irregularities listed in the Observer Reports of the Recount, as the Chief Justice (ag) has ruled, are matters for an Election Petition.”
Op-Ed: Granger and his gang of brigands continue... (From page 8)
the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, to the Permanent Council, the joint statement of the CARICOM representatives at the OAS, the serious presentations and stern warnings by the Ambassadors to the OAS from the Antigua, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and the USA, the arrogant retort of Williams that “… all of this is premature( ie OAS)…the APNU+AFC Coalition had won the elections and have the majority of votes…. there could be no peaceful transition as there had been no declaration” made a mockery of the OAS and the Charter it stands for. That the Granger-led de facto government believes that the OAS is of no consequence is the same contempt that it holds of the CARICOM, Commonwealth and European Union. All have been targeted and accused of interference and told to stay out of Guyana’s business.
As we say in Guyana “if you hard ears you will feel”, the problem is all of our people, innocent of this travesty, will feel. In fact so dangerous is this situation that at the very same time as the Secretary General Almargo was saying that “..the current situation serves no purpose in Guyana. We call to stop using the judiciary branch to avoid bringing a solution to the country. It's is time to make decisions and protect democracy and the will of the people expressed in the elections”, the rigging Mafioso had proceeded to file an appeal to all of the Chief Justice rulings of the day before. This too is an affront and yet another indication to Guyanese and to the world that this gang of brigands will not concede defeat and will not accept the results. I, like so many Guyanese, was ashamed and shocked as this travesty was displayed on the international stage,
embarrassed to see our nation’s international reputation in tatters. Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Golding made it clear that the people of Guyana are not to be blamed for the current electoral crisis in Guyana. In fact, he commended the people of Guyana for their patience over the past four months. I console myself with Golding’s closing remarks that “the people of Guyana do not deserve this,” but also brace myself for the future as he said “it will take years for Guyana to recover from what has transpired.” The only ones responsible for this is Granger and his gang of brigands who have brought our nation so low and who are continuing aggressively in undermining the very democratic foundations of our nation with their desperate and despotic grasping of the reigns of government. But this too will end that I know.
he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has made clear that the time has long gone for the APNU+AFC Coalition to “bring the curtains down on its threeringed circus” and spare the Guyanese people and nation further shame and greater anguish. In a statement on Tuesday (July 21, 2020), FITUG said, “The applicant who sought, in our view, some most perplexing and we daresay ambitious declarations has essentially been ruled out of line by the Chief Justice and her application fell flat on its face. This latest litigation has only contributed to the inordinate delay in the finalization of the elections results which remain undeclared now going on to five (5) months. “While we recognize Ms Jones’ attorneys have indicated their intention to appeal the Chief Justice’s
erudite decision, we have to ask to what end this is being pursued. Though we uphold a litigant’s right to an appeal, we contend that this must be measured and carefully considered in the interest of justice and specifically in this matter the democratic election process which it stalemates. It appears to us that the continuation of the matter has a hopeless probability of success. We say this taking into account previous decisions which were upheld and adumbrated by Justice George in her decision. It, therefore, would be an unwelcome surprise for other Courts to walk back previous decisions especially in the absence of any credible or worthwhile submission. “The Granger Government, which has sought to distance itself from this and previous matters, has also signaled its intention to file an appeal. By their actions, the Government has smashed
the scanty veneer of separation which may have existed in the eyes of a few. The utterances of the Attorney-General, at the conclusion of the Chief Justice’s decision, for us is ominous and, for us, has brought shame to the professionalism of the legal profession. We contend that attorneys worth their salt will not pursue matters which they are cognizant that they have not even the slimmest possibility of success. That to us can be seen as professional suicide and brings into question the ethical training which those attorneys would receive.” The Union noted that the selfish political considerations that have driven the Coalition – aimed at holding on to executive power – continues to do more harm than good. “This too has cast shame on politicians past and present as the Coalition pursues, embarrassingly, its charade,” FITUG said.
GCCI to Granger: ‘Time to concede’
T
he continued approaches to the court are not in the nation’s best interests, according to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). And the body called on the APNU+AFC Coalition leader, David Granger, to take steps to allow a final declaration of election results and the democratic transition of government. In a missive to Granger, the GCCI said, “It has been 141 days since our March 2, 2020 Election. The Guyanese people are tired and would like our Election process to come to an end. Excellency, we believe you have the power, as Ms Jones was an APNU+AFC Party Agent, and as her lawyers are APNU Party Agents to ask Ms. Jones to withdraw her Appeal. “You also have the power to ask the Attorney General to not support any appeal from the Government’s side either. Excellency, I can guarantee there is very little chance of success in the Appeals’ Court because according to the Chief Justice’s decision, Ms. Jones would be asking the Court of Appeal to overturn their own statements and points raised in the Ulita
The GCCI letter to Coalition leader, David Granger
Moore ruling. “Worse yet Excellency, even if by some miracle Ms. Jones succeeded at the Court of Appeal, the absurdity of her lawyers arguing to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Judges that those same judges said that the Recount Order, Order 60, was illegal will shame us for the rest of our lives in Caribbean jurisprudence.” The GCCI stressed that
Granger must act. “There are two moves that saves face for all Excellency, the first is for you to call Dr. Irfaan Ali and concede that indeed the PPP list, which he heads, has won the Election, and the second is to ask your party’s candidate Ms. Jones to not file an Appeal on the CJ’s decision,” the letter said. The GCCI missive was signed by GCCI President, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer.
