Development under the Coalition continues as Guyana readies for elections

─ “Agitation in-country uncalled for” – Foreign Minister says of naysayers

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, October 2, 2019

With a date now confirmed for general and regional elections, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Karen Cummings, this morning, reiterated that Guyana is in good and regular standing within the framework of its Constitution. She said the agitation around the country, being peddled by the political opposition, is uncalled for.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Karen Cummings.

The minister also outrightly rejected statements by the ABE countries which claimed that the Coalition Government was in breach of the Constitution of Guyana.

While the statements were made before the proclamation of the date of the elections by His Excellency, President David Granger, Minister Cummings today argued that the country has always been abiding by the rule of law.

Minister Cummings only recently represented Guyana at the just concluded 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York. While there, she was able to clear up several misconceptions being peddled by the opposition about the country’s state of affairs. She met with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland. She related that the officials have offered their assistance to Guyana in preparation for elections.

“When they would have looked and seen Guyana going ahead with our development agenda and is business as usual. We know a date has been fixed, we know elections are a part of our Constitution, and we will abide by that… We [recently] met with all stakeholders, all members of the diplomatic corps where the president outlined the way forward. We have spoken at length, so all this agitation I think is uncalled for,” she said.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said no issue in Guyana should warrant interference by other countries.

“In Guyana, there is no war. There is no protest; lives are not being lost. I don’t think we need sanctions at this point in time, because we are peaceful citizens. We [Guyanese] are going along our busy way, and so we have maintained the peace.”

His Excellency, President David Granger, on Tuesday, issued two proclamations officially naming March 2, 2020, as the date for both General and Regional Elections.

On September 25, the Head of State announced that following discussions with (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the earliest possible date for the holding of General and Regional Elections will be on Monday, 2nd March 2020.

The president’s statement followed the GECOM Chair’s missive to him on September 19, 2019, indicating that “the Guyana Elections Commission will be able to deliver credible elections by the end of February 2020.”

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