Dear Editor,
The vile events that continue to unfold following the March general election which has been hijacked by the PNC and its willing APNU/AFC/GECOM accomplices in order for the party to cling to power must give global leadership pause to seriously consider drafting and establishing an international treaty that would govern the process and declaration of election results held anywhere in the democratic world.a
The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) has in place the OSCE Convention which recognises that democratic elections form the basis for legitimate government. The convention provides technical assistance to improve the legislative and administrative framework for elections in specific countries which includes help with establishing voters’ lists, campaigns on voters’ rights and electoral procedures, and technical reviews of elections.
Obviously, these do not go far enough for a situation like Guyana’s. Whereas European states, the UN, the Carter Center and other bodies have guidelines and procedures that govern democratic elections, they all trust that political leaders will respect and follow the rules. Here, however, we are witnessing a display of Machiavellian excesses by the PNC and its collaborators who are using red herrings, rabbit holes and foolhardy legal challenges to frustrate and obstruct the completion of the ballot count.
The expectation of trust in a particular group of local political leaders now has no standing and their latest move to hire American lobbyists to change the narrative of the election to the US Government in their favour will not succeed. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already threatened sanctions and is unlikely to be moved by their public relations stunt.
Because of what is happening here, the public trust everywhere is broken and, with it, any expectation that integrity and honour would spring naturally from the consciences of men and women entrusted with powers intended to be used for the good of the people but which, in Guyana’s case, are being misused for illegal and partisan interests.
Any proposed international treaty would, therefore, have to include a reasonable and agreed-on time frame for the winner of a free, fair and democratic election to be declared, and would also have to include criminal charges for everyone involved in the moves to frustrate and block the completion of the electoral process.
The UN, OAS, Commonwealth Secretariat, Carter Center, and ABCE countries have had a front row seat at the post-election shenanigans. They have first-hand knowledge having themselves been harassed and threatened in the process. As bodies and countries concerned with upholding democracy and the rule of law worldwide, perhaps they should consider drawing up the guiding principles and rules for an international treaty, to be signed by democracies everywhere, that would prevent the recurrence of a similar electoral impasse anywhere in the democratic world.
Notwithstanding that the world is in the grips of the COVID-19 crisis, Guyana is also in the midst of a post-election crisis which is also a human rights crisis since the rights of every citizen who voted freely to elect the next government are being denied.
We are all witnessing a coup d’etat being carried out by a cabal that is using every means at its disposal to retain control of a government which is, in every constitutional term, criminal and illegal and violates every democratic principle.
The PNC and its collaborators are muddying Guyana’s name with a shame and infamy that will live forever in the annals of world history. They do not care but we have to continue to hope that our international allies will help us chart a course to resolve this situation peacefully and with some swift dispatch.
Yours faithfully,
Ryhaan Shah
