No Jagdeo-Granger talks despite GECOM’s efforts

Last Updated on Sunday, 2 August 2020, 12:54 by Denis Chabrol

President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo will not be holding any talks on “the way forward” before the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) declares the results of the March 2, 2020 general elections, Jagdeo said.

GECOM is expected to meet again  at 2 PM Sunday.

Pro-APNU+AFC Elections Commissioner, Charles Corbin said he and his two other colleagues-Vincent Alexander and Desmond Trotman- told Sunday morning’s meeting of the Commission that “utilising that information (from the national vote recount) can cause a lot of ripples in the society” although GECOM has the power to use those numbers.

“What was proposed is that there be an engagement of the leaders in the same way to make a determination of the way forward,” Mr. Corbin added.

Mr. Corbin said he and his colleagues proposed the talks between the two leaders because they had agreed to the recount which has since revealed evidence of irregularities.

But Mr. Jagdeo told News-Talk Radio Guyana /Demerara Waves Online News that he spoke with President Granger and told him the PPP would not be talking before a declaration. “Our position remains the same that we will have no talks before a declaration,” he said.

The PPP General Secretary said he and Mr. Granger had a “good discussion” and they made it clear that they would be willing to hold talks after the declaration “without any agenda.”

Mr. Jagdeo said he and the President spoke after GECOM Chairman, Claudette Singh spoke with them. Mr. Jagdeo said the President informed him that he would also inform the GECOM Chairman of the position that emerged out of their telephone conversation.

GECOM is expected to meet again at 2 PM  Sunday.

Meanwhile, about 100 APNU+AFC supporters protested at Main and Lamaha Streets beyond police barriers. They chanted “valid votes” to back their claim that the National vote recount uncovered massive irregularities such as voter-impersonation and no documents to reconcile votes in ballot boxes.

The Caribbean Community, Organisation of American States, European Union, Commonwealth, United States, Britain, Canada, France and Norway have all called for the use of the national vote recount data to declare the results of the March 2, 2020 polls.