Caricom Leaves Guyana as Court Suspends Vote Recount

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) announced Wednesday that its independent High-Level commission will leave Guyana after a court granted an injunction restraining the Elections Commission from recounting any ballots.

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“The Caribbean Community has no other choice but to withdraw the High-Level Team,” a statement read, warning that “it is clear that there are forces that do not want to see the votes recounted for whatever reason. Any Government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count process would lack legitimacy.”

On March 17, the recount process was halted once again after a court order restrained the Gecom from recounting any ballots of the General and Regional Elections of March 2, and set aside “any agreement between the President of Guyana and the Leader of the Opposition and or any agreement between the Guyana Elections Commission and the Caribbean Community.”

However, the vote count was suspended since Monday after the Electoral Commission's headquarters was sprayed with pesticides, teleSUR’s correspondent Alejandro Kirk informed. 

It still has not been possible to declare a reliable result of the elections of March 2, sparking protests in the streets on possible fraud claims. The electoral battle opposes the official Alliance for National Unity + Alliance for Change (UNPA + AFC) and the opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP).

For this reason, Caricom’s Chairman and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley arrived with a delegation last week in Guyana to meet with elections stakeholders, including President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo.

“Given that the tabulation process had been widely viewed as not being transparent or credible, President Granger and Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Leader of the Opposition, agreed that the only possible resolution was by way of a recount supervised by an independent team,” Caricom said.

While adding that “this was seen as a significant contribution to bolstering the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process.” Now the process will be left once again to the political parties and Gecom to decide.