– congratulates PPP/C, Ali

THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Monday welcomed the conclusion of Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, and congratulated Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on his accession to Presidency, and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on their victory.

“The Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines called the President to extend his best wishes, while Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque personally conveyed his congratulations to the President at yesterday’s Swearing-in Ceremony,” the statement noted.

CARICOM has also commended the people of Guyana for the patience and maturity they displayed during the protracted process, and pledged its continued support to the country in its development efforts under the new government.

Under the stewardship of Past Chairman Mia Mottley of Barbados and her successor, SVG’s Dr. Gonsalves, CARICOM had expressed its concerns about the delayed conclusion to Guyana’s elections.

Mottley had stated that the prolonged resolution of Guyana’s elections was not only unbecoming of the political parties involved but portrayed the entire Region in a bad light.

She’d called on political parties which believed that there was evidence of fraudulent or improper conduct during the elections to take the route of an Elections Petition.

After taking up the position of Chair, Gonsalves led calls by CARICOM for stakeholders in Guyana to declare the results of the elections without further delay.

Four Prime Ministers from the Region, including Mottley and Gonsalves, had visited Guyana shortly after the elections in March to talk to both sides, and urge patience, especially after the loss of one life due to protests.

In addition, CARICOM had sent a three-member Scrutinising Team to observe Guyana’s National Recount despite the COVID-19 pandemic. That team had concluded in its report that the will of the Guyanese people was expressed on March 2, and reflected in the physical recount.

Gonsalves, on behalf of CARICOM, had therefore called on political leaders here to “respect the rule of law”, and act quickly on the matter of a declaration for “a peaceable restoration to normalcy”.