“Every vote must count” – CARICOM Chair tells political parties

Mar 08, 2020 News

– urges completion of electoral process

“Every vote must be made to count; and transparently so,” said Chairman of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM], Ms. Mia Mottley.

CARICOM Chairman, Mia Mottley

Speaking in this very capacity, Mottley issued a call for the electoral officials in Guyana and the representative political parties to work together to achieve a peaceful and lawful completion of the electoral process.
The electoral process, she said, must be adhered to by ensuring the tabulation of the results in all Regions using the Statement of Polls in a transparent manner in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and the electoral observers.
Elections here in Guyana were held on Monday March 2, 2020 and six days later the nation, amidst some frustrations that have evolved into instances of violence in some sections of the country, still awaits an official declaration of the results.
CARICOM, on Thursday night, issued a statement. Another was issued Friday from the Chief of the independent Caricom Electoral observation team. Both statements, Mottley said, called on GECOM to complete the electoral process.
Commenting on the post-elections state of affairs prevailing in this South American nation, Mottley said, “We have noted that all sides have been making serious allegations against each other” but added that “it is critical that good sense prevails.”
The preservation of law and order, the CARICOM Chairman added, is paramount and all parties must work hard to ensure that there is peace on the roads and in the communities across Guyana.
“There has already been one death reported overnight. That is one death too many,” the official quipped.
Moreover, she added, “In simple language, we ask the parties to recognise that the primary consideration must not only be who will be President but, more so, who will be alive come next week or next month, for there cannot be a tolerance for any further loss of life.”
Already Mottley, the Barbadian Head of State, said that she has had discussions with both the President and the Leader of the Opposition in order to inform them that CARICOM stands ready to be able to be there to facilitate further dialogue and any actions that are necessary.
“We have done this on many occasions in the past, including in Guyana, when elections have been highly contentious and when social order and the rule of law has been threatened across the region. We are family and this is what happens when there are disputes in families.”
As such Mottley, assured, “We will work together to create the space for dialogue and resolution once there is an acceptance on the part of all parties that there is a higher interest beyond simply the result in this election”.