Latest update January 11th, 2025 4:10 AM
May 17, 2020 News
Despite a letter to the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch and five senators, which emphatically stated that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the restrictions which followed played a factor in why the Carter Centre was not given the green light for their return, APNU+AFC’s Amna Ally shares a different view.
During a briefing with the press yesterday evening at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre, the venue where the National Recount is being conducted, Ally was questioned about whether the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) advised incumbent President David Granger not to approve the international observers’ trip to Guyana.
In response to this, Ally, the General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform- the largest party in the Coalition, said: “You were told that that was the reason why the Carter Center was rejected? I hope that you know that with the COVID-19 pandemic that we have closed all of our borders and it is only essential services that enter or leave this country.”
She went on to say: “Don’t assume that it is a decision. That is a normal thing that the PPP/C does and I hope that it is not the PPP/C propaganda that you are putting to us.”
It was reported by Kaieteur News that the incumbent coalition has, for the third time, denied the approval for the return of the Carter Centre, which was accredited to observe the March 2nd General and Regional Elections.
In two letters dated on May 15th and addressed to Sarah-Ann Lynch, the US Ambassador to Guyana and to five Senators of the United States, Dr. Karen Cummings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who wrote on behalf of President David Granger, explicitly stated that “…it may not be possible for the Carter Centre [sic] and the IRI Advisor to participate in the overseeing of the recount of the votes cast on the 2nd March General and Regional Elections which as you are aware had already commenced.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister went on to justify why the Center’s re-entry was not approved, making note of the travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 virus.
She also stated that there is the three-member high-level scrutinizing team which was nominated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) currently monitoring the elections. She noted that: “The Caribbean Community sees itself as the most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation.”
This is effectively the third time that the government has denied re-entry to the Carter Centre. An initial application to the COVID-19 Task Force in late April was not responded to, prompting a May 4th appeal to the President from US Ambassador. The application was again rejected in a May 6 letter sent by Cummings on Granger’s behalf.
Joseph Harmon, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCTF, on May 9th, had told the press that the Carter Centre was free to re-apply to the government to fly to Guyana to observe the recount exercise.
Notably, even as the COVID-19 airport lockdown has been cited as the reason for blocking the observers’ re-entry, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has granted a number of special authorised flights- six to eight flights of workers from the oil and gas industry over the past two weeks.
Subsequent to hearing the latest developments, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chaterjee, tweeted late Friday night: “Guyana refused Carter Center with ties to Guyana since 1990s, to return although they will comply with same COVID-19 requirements as the CARICOM team. GECOM invited the Carter to return. Why doesn’t the government want them back?”
Jan 11, 2025
Kaieteur News- The body of 39-year-old Fu Jian Wei, an employee of China Railway Construction Corporation (International) was recovered from the Demerara River on Friday, the Ministry of Public Works...Dem Boys Seh… Kaieteur News- Dem boys bin pass one of dem fancy speed meter signs wah de guvament put up fuh tell drivers... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]