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Coalition as Opposition has important role to play in maintaining democracy in Guyana
– outgoing British High Commissioner
Outgoing British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn
With the five-month hiatus on the declaration of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections over, the country is attempting to pick up the pieces and move forward with the new People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government in place, led by President Irfaan Ali.
The David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition has shifted from Government to Opposition but will still have a vital role to play in Guyana’s development and democracy.
This is according to outgoing British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, who said that the Opposition has the heavy task of holding the new administration accountable for their actions.
Quinn appeared Friday evening on Kaieteur Radio’s Room 592 with hosts Dr. Yog Mahadeo and Senior Journalist, Leonard Gildarie, and explained that for democracy to continue, there must be two sides.
“It needs to have a government and it needs to have an opposition and the opposition has a very important role to play, that is, in holding the government and the administration to account,” Quinn said.
He has high expectations that the now Opposition APNU+AFC will carry out this mandate with “gusto and vigor” and do its job.
“…if it sees wrong, to point out that wrong. If it sees a situation where it can contribute, to contribute and the nature of democracy is that there is a winner and a loser and that’s just the way it is.”
“I think this opposition, the previous Coalition Government has a very important role to play in continuing the democratic principles which exist in this country,” the British High Commissioner said.
Commenting on the declaration of the elections result, Quinn reiterated previous utterances that it was made “based on a credible count.”
“We called for the elections to be declared on the basis of the recount. It was the right decision and it took five months too long, but we got there in the end.”
At this point, he continued, Guyana is now in a place where it can start looking forward to build on Guyana’s continued development after experiencing a “very difficult and stressful” five-month period.
“I think it is now up to the new, legitimate government to push forward the manifesto and with what President (Irfaan) Ali said in his inauguration address.”
Quinn had been around for the 2015 elections, which saw the ending of the 23-year reign of the PPP/C.
He would have among the other envoys of the western countries who walked out in March, in protest, from the Ashmin’s building, High Street, where the Region Four tabulation was thrown into confusion after Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, attempted to make declarations based on figures which had no basis.
The US had announced visa sanctions on several persons of the Coalition who were accused of attempting to derail the declaration process which saw the Coalition’s first term ending unceremoniously.
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