Canada calls for swift end to Guyana’s deepening political crisis

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 July 2020, 16:48 by Denis Chabrol

The Canadian Government through its Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Global Affairs) has joined a long list of countries and organisations calling for a swift and transparent end to Guyana’s elections.

In an issued statement on Wednesday, the Canadian government said it strongly regrets the extended delay in  declaring election results in Guyana, a delay that has now lasted more than four months since elections were held on March 2.

“We support calls by the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth,  the Caribbean Court of Justice and civil society organizations to announce the results based on the national recount,  as validated by the CARICOM observer mission,” the statement said.

In the interest of the democratic rights of the people of Guyana, the Canadian government said it firmly maintains that the rule of law and democratic processes must be respected and a declaration be announced without further delay.

“Canada will continue to work with its partners in the international community, using all tools at our disposal, to demand  a swift and transparent conclusion to the election process and hold accountable those who prevent it.”

Indications are that the United Kingdom, a sister Commonwealth nation, will be piling sanctions in the coming weeks.

The Organisation of American States (OAS) to which Guyana, Canada and the United States also belong, is expected to discuss Guyana’s  deepening political crisis in the coming weeks, barring a court ruling that might settle the issue over whether to use the recount data or the 10 district declarations that include inflated numbers in favour of the David Granger-led coalition.

(Samuel Sukhnandan)