If Guyana is not respected internationally as a democratic state, and its government is not seen as credibly elected, it will be isolated from regional, hemispheric and international activity that will hurt its people irreparably. This is according to Antiguan Barbadian Ambassador to the USA, Sir Ronald Sanders.

Sanders noted in his recent writings that the first indication of the gravity with which the international community regards Guyana’s situation was given by the Commonwealth of 55-nations on April 2, exactly one month since the general elections were held on March 2 without a declared result.

Through the Ministerial Action Group (MAG), its watchdog for abuses of human rights and democracy, the Commonwealth “strongly iterated that any government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count and tabulation process would lack legitimacy”. The MAG also “called upon the GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) to immediately fulfill its constitutional mandate and ensure the sovereign right of the people of Guyana to duly elect their government is respected through a transparent and credible counting and tabulation process”.

While offering to provide assistance to ensuring a credible and transparent conclusion to the electoral process in accordance with the will of the people as expressed on March 2, Sanders said that the Commonwealth ministers were clear that, were it to become necessary, they would “convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation and explore appropriate options”. He said one should take that to mean the exclusion of Guyana from the Commonwealth.

The senior diplomat also noted that the Commonwealth action would be replicated by the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the European Union. He said that collectively, the member states of these three groupings represent Guyana’s major trading partners and the countries that provide it with access to the global trading and financial system. Saunders was keen to note that these organizations could practically cripple Guyana, and its “sovereignty”. In fact, the envoy categorically stated that the “sovereignty” which is often spoken of would not save Guyana from sanctions bilaterally applied by the powerful countries, international organisations and financial institutions with the capacity to do so.

On this note he said, “What would be the benefit to Guyana, as a nation, or to its people as individuals, for such a scenario to unfold? Neither those courting sanctions nor those urging their application would gain in any way. Far better for all players to uphold the principles and values enshrined in the nation’s Constitution and in the Charters of the Commonwealth, the Inter-American System and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to which Guyana is a signatory.”

By doing so, Sanders said GECOM should order a recount of all the votes cast under the supervision of a high-level CARICOM team, consistent with the agreement of March 16, signed by president David Granger and opposition leader Bharat Jagdeo. This way, Sanders said that the result of the elections would then be credible to all – domestically, regionally and internationally and a much-needed government could be established to get on with looking after the wellbeing of the Guyanese people, especially now when the country, like all other nations, is gripped by the deadly tragedy of COVID-19.

But if Guyana’s leaders fail to take advantage of this narrowing window of opportunity to produce a credible election result, certified by CARICOM, the senior diplomat said they would have closed every chance to maintain its democracy. He concluded that indeed, CARICOM should help, but Guyana must first save itself.

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