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APNU mulls options in wake of vote count
“We stated our position on the verification of results and we stated our commitment to a Government of National Unity. I didn’t give any further commitments” –Granger
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday announced the long-awaited results
APNU supporters after the vote count
of the 2011 General and Regional Election but its acceptance on the part of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) seems to be hanging in jeopardy.
A large crowd of supporters gathered at the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) headquarters which forms the largest bloc of the partnership and listened to the Chief Elections Officer making the pronouncements much to their dismay, despite assurances by its Presidential Candidate that even with the declared results the combined opposition had the majority in the National Assembly.
Granger told the gathering that the partnership has not given up on the verification that it had called for since there are several discrepancies associated with the process and results of the declaration.
This, however, was of little comfort to the gathering who insisted that David Granger should be sworn in as President and that they will not be accepting anything less given that, according to them, the count was rigged.
But Granger assured the supporters that APNU has their best interest at heart and will not let them down, that their wishes must be respected.
“If we need to protest we will protest,” Granger assured.
David Hinds, an Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance, which has been enveloped in the partnership, in speaking to the gathering assured that, “the battle is not over.”
He insisted that the results might not be accepted as is, given the discrepancies and lack of adequate verification, but assured that the partnership will be negotiating from a position of power and will negotiate from the streets if the need arises.
In what seemed to be a stern warning, Hinds said that they will not be recognizing any new government that is sworn in at this time and that it would be illegal.
He also warned that the partnership will not be allowing any swearing in of Ramotar and that Granger “has to be the President of Guyana”.
Immediately following this, a high level meeting was summoned at one of the Committee Rooms of Parliament Building.
The meeting was attended by President-Elect Donald Ramotar, APNU Presidential Candidate David Granger and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine among others, but this meeting did not realize any concrete commitments.
The atmosphere at the Parliament Buildings quickly morphed, as hundreds of angry supporters of APNU converged outside to await the results of the meeting again sending the security forces into action.
This number quickly rose as even more supporters descended on the scene chanting “No place for Donald…Granger for President.”
At one point some of the supporters made their way in a procession around the block circling back to the entrance of the Parliament Building, again sending the security forces into hurried operation.
When Granger emerged from the meeting he told this publication in an invited comment that “we stated our position on the verification of results and we stated our commitment to a government of national unity, I didn’t give any further commitments.”
The Presidential Candidate said that he would like to reserve further comments given that there is an agreement to meet again but there has been no date set thus far for this meeting.
Speaking on the issue of a possible compromise, Granger said, “We are committed to consulting with our partners and he (Ramotar) is committed to consulting with his colleagues in the PPP.”
By this time, a massive crowd had built up and escorted Granger to Square of the Revolution where there were several attempts to pacify audience. He even explained that the combined opposition had the majority in Parliament and as such could not be railroaded.
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