– Florida University researcher urges US, as he cautions against interference
– says observation of recount in the capable hands of CARICOM, OAS

“U.S. officials must tread carefully between interference and observation,” is the advice of Guyanese-American academic and researcher for the African and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University, Wazim Mowla.

Mowla, who is also an intern for the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the U.S. and the Organization of American States (OAS), has been carefully following Guyana’s electoral situation and recently shared his thoughts online.

“Premature pressure and involvement from the United States will provide the losing Guyanese political party an opportunity to petition the recount’s outcome and stretch this crisis further. U.S. officials must understand that mentions of sanctions do little to speed up or ensure a transparent recount. Instead, their words might be interpreted as not only U.S. coercion and interference, but that the U.S. government is in favor of a specific political party,” he reasoned.

The main Opposition — the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) — has led the calls for sanctions against Guyana which, persons have pointed out, will not only harm the government — as intended — but would harm all Guyanese no matter their political preference.

Nonetheless, for over a year, the party’s executives have been calling for sanctions against the current government and ministers in their individual capacities.

“We will seek the toughest sanctions on these individuals and their families and they will not be able to survive…they’ll have no access to money from bi-lateral or multi-lateral sources, they’re not going to get access to the oil money, they’ll face individual sanctions, [and] we’ll have restrictions on our exports and a whole range of stuff that will harm Guyana but it will also, hopefully, make them see the folly of their ways,” Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo said in March, 2020.

The calls for sanctions have been coming since in 2019 during the court battles to determine the validity of the passage of the no-confidence motion, all the way to the breakdown in the tabulation of Statements of Poll (SOPs) by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and now the recount process.

As of recent, the Opposition Leader has tailored his calls for sanctions to only if there is no transparent recount — a process he strongly believes will show victory for his party. This is even as President David Granger has iterated that his government will accept the result of the General and Regional Elections when it is declared by the Chairman of GECOM.

The President has stated that while some political parties in Guyana have been calling on the international community to heap sanctions on Guyana for their own reasons, one must consider that it would be “extremely damaging” to the country’s economy.

“I do not take these as empty threats and I would not like to see those sanctions inflicted on my country, on my people,” the President said, while adding: “My government has done nothing wrong and I do not think those sanctions could be justified if it is shown that my government has behaved legally and that the elections process was a legitimate one and that it is satisfying international standards.”

In Mowla’s opinion, while the U.S. has made no overt indication that it favors a specific party, the idea of U.S. interference is “a burden it bears given its history of intervention.”

He noted that the pandemic has not stopped U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and the Department of State from “not only maintaining pressure on the Guyanese government to conduct a transparent recount but to also allow U.S. actors to re-enter Guyana to observe the process.” However, Mowla believes that patience is key for U.S. officials watching on.

He said although the presence of the U.S. in the form of The Carter Center and the International Republican Institute (IRI) is welcomed by many, there should be no suggestion that CARICOM and OAS officials are not up to the task.

He said though his opinion is that the representatives from The Carter Center (TCC) should have been allowed to re-join the process due to their expertise, their presence would have to “take a backseat” to local observers and the CARICOM scrutinising team.

“The recount process has left Guyana in a fragile state, and the U.S. needs to be aware that given the circumstances, to ensure the preservation of democracy in the country, they must take a backseat to CARICOM and tread the fine line of observation versus interference,” Mowla said.
He added: “This does not mean TCC and IRI have no place in Guyana, as they both contribute useful expertise toward a democratic electoral process. However, if they are allowed re-entry, their presence must take a backseat to Guyanese local observers and the CARICOM team.”

He described the CARICOM Team as “Guyana’s most legitimate international observer” noting that while international observers will leave Guyana once a decision is made, CARICOM governments will remain observant as they are directly impacted by the actions of Guyana’s future leaders.
The researcher advised the U.S. to remain supportive of the CARICOM team and Guyana’s local observers while continuing its lobby for the involvement of The Carter Center.
“.U.S. officials should remain confident that there are accredited local observers that will hold all political parties accountable to guarantee a transparent recount.”