Calls for sanctions anti-national – DG Harmon

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, March 26, 2020

With the vast transformation that has already taken place so far in Guyana, Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon today said calls for sanctions by opposition parties is nothing short of “anti-national and should be condemned.”

Speaking with members of the media this morning, Harmon said the narrative being pushed by the opposition, and which has affected how Guyana and the government are perceived, must be realigned.

“Sanctions is something that we have to be concerned about in this country because it can affect the development of the country, it can stymie that development. So, anyone who feels that sanctions only affect one group of persons they are not thinking clearly. Once Guyana is affected, we all are affected,” the Director-General underscored.

He was at the time being questioned about claims by the opposition forces regarding a fraudulent tabulation of ballots from district four.

Following the March 2 General and Regional Elections, the opposition has been crying foul over the legitimacy of the results of the election declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The Coalition Government has been maintaining that it cannot get involved in the work of the elections body because GECOM remains independent to carry out its functions.  Dissatisfied, the opposition has been taken several actions including litigations in the Supreme Court and even calls for international sanctions against Guyana.

Harmon said sanctions are not something to “play around with.”  And while the government is concerned about the threats of those sanctions, it will work to change the narrative being presented by the opposition.

“We as a government have taken certain steps, as is our right to correct that narrative out there. So sanctions are not something we even want to contemplate. We heard that the opposition gathered the smaller parties and they are contemplating a letter to send to the ABCE countries calling for sanctions. I think that is very anti-national. I don’t see any country in the world that would want to invite that level of sanctions on itself, knowing full well the developmental path which we are on.”

The Director-General encouraged all the parties to work out a plan that will benefit all of Guyana, since, according to him, “sanctions are not the way.”