Latest update February 24th, 2025 9:02 AM
Take it to the courts – EU advises aggrieved figures
Even as it joined in recent declarations that the General and Regional Elections were nothing short of transparent, the European Union (EU) has advised those aggrieved to take their objections or complaints to the courts.
Head of the European Delegation, Ambassador Robert Kopecký
The EU is calling on all actors to respect the legal procedures. In a press statement it contended that Monday’s polls ”were largely peaceful, transparent and inclusive with a high turnout and good performance of electoral authorities.”
The Brussels, Belgium-based body has effectively joined with one of its member states— the United Kingdom—and the United States and Canada as well as the various observer missions, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth and the Carter Center, deployed in Guyana to commend the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for an efficient and well-organised election process.
The EU’s call for grievances to be addressed by legal means comes at a time when Donald Ramotar and the party he headed in the elections, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), are crying foul at their turn of events.
The PPP/C has made known that it will not concede defeat despite the preliminary results by the electoral body showing that the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) will form the next government.
Figures released by the GECOM on Thursday revealed that the coalition scored a narrow victory in the General and Regional Elections, effectively ending the PPP/C’s 23-year rule.
In light of this, the PPP/C has criticized the elections process and results, alleging that it was cheated of victory, by way of collusion between the former Opposition and GECOM.
A recount, the party hopes, would show that it is the victor but returning officers of several electoral districts have, with reason, refused to conduct it. The PPP/C is but one of the six parties that contested the May 11 polls, and the allegations of being cheated have only surfaced from the PPP/C camp.
Notwithstanding, the EU has commended GECOM for what it terms “an efficient and well-organised election process.”
Of note, the back-and-forth has caused a delay in the declaration of the elections results by GECOM and Guyanese have taken to social media cites and letters in the local dailies to vent their frustration at the hold-up.
Yesterday, the body which has 28-member states has called “on all actors to respect the legal procedures and to address any possible grievance through the channels established by the law.”
The EU has been supporting Guyana financially but earlier this year the body temporarily put on hold its two latest partial payments, totalling Euro$43.7M until all eligibility criteria, including budget oversight, are “satisfactorily” addressed.
This followed the prorogation of parliament by President Donald Ramotar late last year, and the calling of the elections about two years before they were expected.
The EU yesterday said that it looks forward to strengthening its bilateral and regional cooperation and continuing close collaboration with Guyana’s Pro Tempore Chairmanship of CARIFORUM, in particular, in the run up to the EU-CELAC Summit and the EU-CARIFORUM Top Level meeting slated for June 11.
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