…Guyana gov’t says US must wait on declaration before any action
…as Washington announces visa restrictions sanctions on local officials

EVEN as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to make a declaration pertaining to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, United States (U.S.) Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo announced on Wednesday that visa restrictions will be imposed on individuals “responsible for, or complicit in undermining democracy in Guyana.”

Pompeo made the remarks during a press briefing in the U.S. where he also called on President David Granger to “step aside”on the basis on elections results not yet declared.

“Today I’m announcing visa restrictions on individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Guyana. Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to restrictions. The Granger government must respect the results of democratic elections and step aside,” the U.S. Secretary of State said.

In his extended statement, Pompeo said that he has been clear on previous occasions that the United States stands with the Guyanese people and that there would be consequences for individuals who seek to undermine democracy.

He said that the events following the March 2 elections indicate that there are “forces” that have repeatedly refused to accept the will of the people at the ballot box.

Pompeo said: “Guyana’s non-democratic trajectory is dangerous for its citizens and for the hemisphere as a whole. I hope that Guyana’s leaders understand what is at stake if they continue down this path. This action is not about interference. It is to send a clear message of the consequences of subverting democracy and the rule of law, which poses a danger to us and our hemispheric partners. We have long said that we have no preference for a winning party, as long as it is selected through a free and fair electoral process that is credible.”

NO DECLARATION, NO VICTORY OR DEFEAT

However, the “electoral process” that the Secretary of State expressed the U.S. government’s favour of has not yet been completed and its completion rests solely in the hands of the elections commission, not those of the President.

Furthermore, in calling for the President to “step aside,” Pompeo may not have examined Article 92 of the Constitution of Guyana which states that “a person assuming the office of the President in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution shall, unless his office sooner become vacant under Article 178, continue in office until the person elected to the office of the President at the next election held under Article 91 assumes office.”

In other words, even if President David Granger were to “step aside,” the Guyana Elections Commission would still have to complete the electoral process in accordance with the Law and Constitution, before another President can be sworn in.

On the same matter, President Granger has long stated that he, like the rest of Guyana, has little choice but to await a formal declaration of the results by the chair of the elections commission. He has pledged that his government will accept the results of the elections as declared, when declared.

“The executive branch of government does not have a role in managing elections. That role is given unto the Constitution, exclusively, explicitly to the elections commission. I cannot claim victory, which I have not done, and I cannot concede defeat, which I have not done, unless I’m notified, formally, by the chairman of the elections commission,” he said in July 2020.

Added to this, the matter of a final declaration by the elections commission is now before Chief Justice, ag of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, CCH, SC.

Private citizen Misenga Jones has moved to the High Court to compel GECOM to declare the results of the General and Regional Elections in accordance with the declarations made by the 10 returning officers in mid-March as advised by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and in keeping with the Representation of the People Act (RoPA).

Nonetheless, lobbied by the main opposition the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, several U.S. senators and congressmen have called for sanctions to be heaped on Guyana and specific individuals.

It is not the first time that the U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has commented on Guyana’s electoral situation. Several tweets have come from the U.S. official about the need for Guyana’s elections to be transparently concluded, ‘or else.’

AWAIT THE CONCLUSION

In a candid letter on Wednesday, the executive arm of government expressed that it regretted the decision taken by the United States (U.S.) Department of State, but nonetheless urged all locally and abroad to await the legal conclusion of the elections.

The government said: “The matter affecting the outcome of Guyana’s elections is still before courts, which is entirely the responsibility of the judiciary. No declaration has been made. The executive branch has not participated in the undermining of the electoral process and urges all countries interested in Guyana’s development to await the logical conclusion of the process which is being managed by the elections commission, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana.”

The government further stated that the executive arm has not interfered in the functioning of the elections commission.

Reaching out to the U.S. Embassy this morning, the Guyana Chronicle was unable to obtain a list of the said individuals that could face visa restrictions. However, the newspaper was informed that the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch will be hosting a press briefing today, July 16, to apprise the media on the matter of the visa restrictions.