…explains he is Head of State until new president is sworn in
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has assured citizens that the ‘no-tolerance’ position against election violence remains in effect and the armed forces have been instructed to behave accordingly. He was speaking to the media at State House yesterday, as tension ran high amid riot rumours and calls.
“Any eventuality for people to come on the street and harm others, we will proceed according to plan, to ensure that the environment is safe and that people can go about their business in a safe manner, without being subjected to harassment and violence,” President Jagdeo insisted.
It is the outgoing leader’s opinion that the delay in the elections results not only fuels anxiety, but is being used as an excuse by some to mobilize citizens in protest action.
“I have seen several text messages, they are even coming to my phone from APNU, saying that they have won the elections, that Surujbally is working out a deal with the PPP or he’s rigging the elections on our behalf, that they found ballot boxes in Vreed-en-Hoop, and that there are ballot boxes somewhere in Georgetown. All false, and the conclusion that we need to come out in large numbers and hit the streets,” Jagdeo relayed.
Asked about his conclusion that opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was responsible, the head of state said the text messages indicated that they were sent on behalf of APNU.

He believes that if they were not sent from APNU, then that party should openly deny it, since it paints the party group in a negative light.
“We plan to take the toughest actions against anyone, here at home and internationally, who try to mobilize people to create violence, whether it’s the media, whether it’s the websites, whether it’s sending people text messages or whether it is party or public officials. We will write the United Nations to ask for a total investigation of any violence that takes place and to go after the people…,” Mr. Jagdeo insisted, while urging citizens not to respond to these calls.
“I want to urge all Guyanese not to fall prey to these misleading attempts to bring people on to the streets. At the end of the day, we will go back to having a government in place who will continue to work; and these guys the ones who try to mislead people are going to disappear again.”
He told the Guyana Chronicle that a team has already been set up to document incidents of incitement, whether via text messages, websites or by politicians. These will be thoroughly investigated, both locally and internationally.
“This time around, we are going to make an example out of anyone who tries to perpetuate violence against any citizen, if a single person is hurt in the street; because it is time we put this nonsense behind us,” warned Jagdeo.

DISAPPOINTED
Meanwhile, President Jagdeo expressed his disappointment at the slothful manner in which the Guyana Elections Commission is releasing the preliminary results.
He revealed that given the fear that his party’s request for a recount could further delay the process, they withdrew the request.
“GECOM could have easily announced the preliminary results and then say that the PPP has asked for a recount in the following areas, and the PNC asked for a recount in these areas, and other parties…and only upon the recounts being done, we (GECOM) will then declare the final results,” the incumbent Guyanese leader suggested.
He believes that once the PPP/C withdrew its request, GECOM should have had no excuse not to release the preliminary results.
According to Jagdeo, all of the political parties, by way of statements of poll, knew the results of the election, but committed not to release these until GECOM makes its official declaration.
“…so it is incumbent upon them to accelerate the declaration of the preliminary results at least, so as to remove the unease and uncertainty that a lot of our citizens face, which can be used to mobilize our people through whisper campaigns and text messages,” the president stated, while urging the commission to release the results immediately.

JOB WELL DONE
Despite all this, the president believes that GECOM has done well with the staging of the elections, one he labelled as exemplary, despite the hiccups. “I wish to commend all Guyanese for the way they conducted themselves on elections day.”
Guyanese turned out in seemingly record numbers to cast their ballots on Monday, November 28, and elect a new government.

NO VACUUM IN LEADERSHIP
While addressing the media in his last days at State House, President Jagdeo sought to clarify some concerns that Guyana is without a president as this time.
According to him, this is not so, since the Guyana Constitution provides for the incumbent president to demit office only when the new president is sworn in.
“I guess in the minds of the framers of the constitution we could not have a country without a president. Should we go to war, or there is some other problem, then you would have to have somebody in the leadership of the country,” Jagdeo explained.
He pointed out that this information is being peddled to the security forces, who he is certain know the constitution fully.
“I’ve been in contact with leaders of the security forces, and I will be in contact with them until the inauguration of the new president. They will take instructions from me, as provided for by the constitution,” he told reporters.