APNU+AFC ready to talk with political parties, insists on valid votes

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2020, 16:23 by Denis Chabrol

APNU Chairman, David Granger (left) and AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan shake hands after signing the revised Cummingsburg Accord.

A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) on Wednesday publicly signaled that it is ready to hold  talks with other parties to resolve the deepening political crisis.

“The APNU+AFC coalition, in the national interest, and with a view to maintain stability and peace, remains open to dialogue with other political parties and stakeholders on the way forward for our country,” the coalition said.

At the same time, the coalition vowed not to accept any election result based on votes that are not valid.

The People’s Progressive Party has repeatedly refused to talk with the coalition unless the results based on the national vote recount are used to declare the winner of the March 2, 2020 general election results.

Those figures, if used, will see the PPP being declared the winner by the Guyana Elections Commission.

Following is the full text of the APNU+AFC statement.

General and regional elections were held on 2nd March 2020 in the co-operative republic of guyana. the results of those elections had not been declared by Monday 20th July, twenty weeks afterwards.

Delays in the declaration of results were caused, in part, by several appeals which were made during this period – to the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Court of Appeal of Guyana and the Caribbean Court of Justice – to provide interpretations of electoral and other laws and to resolve problems arising from the elections.  the people of guyana await a credible ‘declaration’ by the guyana elections commission. 

A Partnership for National unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC coalition) is committed to a lawful and credible declaration of results based on valid votes. The coalition has taken note of the ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George on 20th july 2020 in the case of Mesinga Jones v Guyana Elections Commission Chairman et al.

The APNU+AFC coalition, as always, remains committed to the judicial process. That process is incomplete as it stands and the matter has been appealed in the guyana court of appeal, citing 18 grounds in the notice of appeal.

The appellant, Misenga Jones, seeks to set aside or reverse the entire judgment of chief justice roxane george. case management in this matter is set for 15:00hrs today (Wednesday). Such an appeal is lawful, proper and guaranteed under the constitution of the cooperative republic of guyana, our supreme law.

The APNU+AFC coalition is resolved to ensure that fraudulent votes, cannot be factored in to represent the will of the electorate. Any attempt to include fraudulent votes in a ‘declaration’ will constitute a violation of the constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy. We maintain that the elections commission can only make a ‘declaration’ based on valid votes. 

The recount process which was conducted, painstakingly, for thirty-three days revealed massive irregularities and extensive fraud which cannot be foisted on the guyanese people to contrive an outcome that betrays the will of the electorate.

The APNU+AFC coalition, in the national interest, and with a view to maintaining stability and peace, remains open to dialogue with other political parties and stakeholders on the way forward for our country.  The APNU+AFC coalition is prepared to act responsibly to bring a resolution to the ongoing political situation.

We remain confident of a credible and legitimate outcome to the elections.