…supports legally-supervised recount of all districts

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) one of the six parties in the APNU+AFC coalition has once again called for the abandonment of the winner-takes-all framework of governance here even as it lends support to a legally-supervised recount of all electoral districts to resolve the post-elections impasse that has gripped the nation.

“In our earlier “Election Statement” WPA had expressed grave concern over developments since March 2 when Guyanese went to the polls to elect the next government. We stated that, for a party which is well aware of the dangers of elections within a winner-takes-all framework, we are aghast at the turn of events. At stake is the very survival of the multi-ethnic covenant that has held our country together since emancipation. The signs of severe dislocation cannot be ignored,” the WPA said in a statement issued Saturday evening.
The party noted that it has throughout its long life as a political party and actor advocated for a political solution to our historical problems in the form of a power-sharing Government of National Unity, which guarantees our major ethnic groups protection against domination by the other. It is the foremost reason for our initial and continued membership of the Coalition which we view as a steppingstone towards such a government. “We renew that call now in this hour of seeming despair. At this moment the WPA is in no better position than the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to decide which party was victorious in the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Like the rest of the nation, we continue to be alarmed about the developments surrounding tabulation of the votes. The inherent logic of competitive elections is “winners and losers”.

The WPA said at this point in the country’s national existence “we are more concerned with a different

outcome. A national unity government with a mandate for constitutional reform ending the present winner- takes- all governance system is the only way out of our historical entrapment, which hinders economic and social progress as well as racial unity.” “The WPA as a member of the APNU+AFC coalition is therefore fully committed to a resolution of this crisis in such a manner as to allow the country and its people to make the best use of our new-found wealth from our oil and gas resources.”

To this end the WPA joins in solidarity with those who call for one or more of the following:

(A) We reiterate our demand that following the examination of the ballot boxes which reveal the credibility of the elections, whichever party wins the most votes forms a government of national unity for an agreed period with a clear mandate to complete constitutional reform and ending the “winner-takes- all” governance system. (b) A verified recount of all electoral districts as legally permitted under the Constitution. For the avoidance of any doubt we welcome CARICOM’s supervision of this recount in chronological order from one to ten. We call on all political parties to accept the results of a recount and will call on them to do so if necessary; C) Full respect for the rights of citizens to seek redress in the courts of law on any related electoral issue.

(d) We denounce all calls for sanctions being imposed on Guyana. These will hurt mostly those who are already hurting from poverty and powerlessness. e) WPA rejects violence in all its forms and especially as has occurred since elections day politically-directed against children, women and law enforcement personnel.