Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding yesterday presented a preliminary report to the Organization of American States (OAS), in his capacity as the head of the OAS Mission that observed the March 02, 2020 General and Regional elections.
Among other things, he said that Guyana’s electoral process was tainted by the fictitious tabulation of votes for Region 4 which was carried out by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
In fact, Golding said: “You know it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists. I have never seen such a transparent effort to alter election results.”
The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has outright dismissed Golding’s remarks.
In a statement last evening, APNU+AFC Executive Member, Joseph Harmon said that Golding’s statement lacks credibility.
Against this backdrop, the coalition parties said it views Golding’s statement as wholly biased and partisan.
Below is the full statement delivered by Harmon:
The APNU+AFC has noted a statement by Mr. Bruce Golding, head of the Organization of American States Observer Mission to Guyana’s March 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The APNU+AFC Coalition views the statement as wholly partisan and biased. The statement by Mr. Golding therefore lacks credibility.
The APNU+AFC notes that Mr. Golding and People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo appeared in tandem before the media – Mr. Golding virtually and Mr. Jagdeo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
It appears as if this was coordinated and pre-arranged to deliver statements which were strikingly similar in content and style.
It is widely known in Guyana that Mr. Golding is a close friend and ally of Mr. Jagdeo and has been Mr. Jagdeo’s private house guest prior to serving as head of the OAS Observer Mission to Guyana.
Mr. Golding’s partisanship and unquestionable links to the PPP compromises him and no longer can he be considered an independent observer.
He has clearly demonstrated a bias for his close associates and appears to have now become an unabashed co-conspirator of the PPP as they seek to defy the will of the Guyanese people.
Mr. Golding, in his statement today, ignores the fact that this was a recount agreed to by President David Granger and Mr. Jagdeo.
He therefore ignores the numerous instances of irregularities, discrepancies and anomalies which have been uncovered in the ongoing recount process amounting to fraud on the Guyanese people – dead people voting, persons who are not in Guyana voting, unsigned affidavits of identity in boxes.
Mr. Golding instead focuses on a declaration which had already been ruled on by the court and other documents issued by the People’s Progressive Party.
He seems to believe that whatever the PPP puts out is authentic, ignoring the fact that a full statement has not been made by the Guyana Elections Commission.
This is the same posture taken by the PPP after the elections in publishing statements of poll which they posted on the website and have now been forced to take down because the statements of recount show numbers which are totally different.
Mr. Golding’s statement today is not only exceptionally partisan but it is grossly irresponsible and hostile to the nation and people of Guyana.
Mr. Golding’s statement coming from a former CARICOM Head of Government, smacks gross disrespect for a sovereign state and for the ongoing process which has been supported by CARICOM.
The APNU+AFC Coalition calls on all Guyanese to disregard these distant voices and pay attention to the unfolding situation at the Arthur Chung conference Centre where the recount is unmasking the PPP fraud at the March 2nd, 2020 elections.
