“Democracy delayed is democracy denied” – Sir Ronald Sanders

Jul 22, 2020 News

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By Shikema Dey

Sir Ronald Sanders shared the view that the incessant delays to the long awaited declaration of Guyana’s March 2, 2020 Elections sends a strong message that the democracy of the country is being denied and made it clear that “democracy delayed is democracy denied”.

Giving remarks yesterday as Antigua and Barbuda’s representative at the Organisation of American States (OAS) Special Permanent Council meeting on Guyana’s electoral situation, Sir Sanders said that the country’s democracy is not being served, nor is the people of Guyana’s right to democracy being upheld.
“Consistent with the Inter-American democratic charters, to which all of our countries are signatories, the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy,” Sir Sanders stated, noting that each government has to promote and defend it.
Sadly, it was noted, this is not the case in Guyana.
It has been 142 days since Guyanese exercised their democratic franchise on March 2, and the country is still without a declaration and duly elected government.
Sir Sanders pointed out that while Guyana has been unable to produce a timely declaration, four other Caribbean countries have managed to execute their elections and appoint head of states, including one of Guyana’s closest neighbour, Suriname.
It is because of that fact, he said, Guyana has earned its place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
“Being entitled to enter the Guinness Book of World Record is usually for a remarkably deserving event however, Guyana has now been inscribed into the pages of the Guinness Book of Records for the unworthy event of having achieved the longest delay in the world’s history between an election and the declaration of an election result,” Sir Sanders said.
He added that since March 2, Guyana has been subject to a number of unnecessary delays aimed at dragging out the process, which is “testing the patience of a tolerant international community” and additionally “tempting protest and unrest”.
The Ambassador made mention of the intervention of CARICOM in the elections following the fraudulent declarations made by District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. That led to a National Recount of the votes and revealed that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party won the elections.
The loser, incumbent A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), Sir Sanders said has refused to accept this fact and is “persistently delaying the acceptance of the results and frustrating the peaceful and democratic end to the process.”
The party brought allegations that irregularities marred the electoral process so any result emerging from that, cannot be credible or used for a declaration. Such matters, however, can be addressed via an elections petition after the results are declared and a President sworn into office – a fact known by the coalition.
“It is not as if an aggrieved party does not have the recourse to address irregularities,” Sir Sanders noted.
Continuing, Ambassador Sanders stated that the party chooses to run to the courts every time a decision is not made in their favour. He pointed to the third round of litigations where the Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, reiterated what was said before – the recount was lawful and a declaration must derive from those figures.
The APNU, however, filed another appeal seeking to overturn the CJ’s decision; a move Sir Sanders stressed would take Guyana’s electoral stalemate well over to September 1st, causing democracy to be delayed further.
He touched on the fact that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has attempted to bring the process to finality however; their efforts are marred by the constant abuse of the courts by APNU.
Their supporters, he said, are being encouraged to regurgitate dead matters in the court “again and again” but if this was not so, GECOM would have been able to make a declaration months ago to return the country to some form of normalcy.
Ending his presentation, Sir Sanders commended the role of the OAS, in resolving the dispute and added that the only interest is in the preservation of democracy.
“Every member of state of the OAS,” he said “cares about Guyana and its people. None of us have taken a political side in this impasse… It is democracy that is now threatened; with implications for the Caribbean region and our hemisphere and democracy we must defend and must ensure is delivered.”
Guyana’s situation, Sir Sanders added, should be kept under the Permanent Council’s review and return for action should the Secretary General see fit.

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