Granger scolds Gonsalves for “stealing an election” and “take your licks like a man” remarks

Last Updated on Sunday, 14 June 2020, 16:23 by Denis Chabrol

CARICOM Chairman, Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley flanked by (left to right) the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit; the Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell; the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves after they had held talks with President David Granger and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.

President David Granger on Sunday slammed Incoming Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves for his disrespectful remarks that he should have taken his electoral defeat at the March 2, 2020 polls quietly.

“Certainly, as the Head of State, I am not going to accept that kind of language. CARICOM, as a community of sovereign States, has never used that kind of language to describe the Government of Guyana and I would not describe my invitation or my participation in the agreement for CARICOM to come here, which was consensual; it wasn’t unilateral, as one of interference,” Granger told reporters.

While reasoning that CARICOM’s involvement in Guyana’s electoral process did not amount to interference because its role is “embedded” in the gazetted recount order, he expressed umbrage at Gonsalves comments.

“It is a matter of interference if a person, an official of a foreign government describes a process in another country as being an attempt to steal the election and when people start use language like ‘be a man and tek you licks’, this is not the type of language which a Head of Government should use about another Head of Government or any other jurisdiction. That is language which is used in a constituency when you’re campaigning,” he said.

Gonsalves’ comments last week created a firestorm in Guyana,  sparking off accusations by the Granger-led administration of prejudice  an attempt to influence the three-member CARICOM team of scrutineers of the national recount of votes.

The Vincentian Prime Minister called on the Guyana Elections Commission to use the recount results to declare the final results of the general elections.