Expressions of concern over delayed progress of electoral fraud trial is not an ‘attack’ – GS Jagdeo
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo contended that questioning decisions and processes of the judiciary cannot, reasonably, be construed as an attack.
“You have the right to make the decisions. We’re not questioning that, but don’t tell me I can’t question that you would rule that 32-33 is not the majority of 65 and that I must live with it without questioning it…had we allowed that to prevail, had we not joined the CCJ, APNU would have been in government today based on that ruling,” he underscored during a news conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown.
His comments follow criticisms by People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) over prior expressions of concern about the lack of progress in moving forward with the electoral fraud trial.
The PPP GS said, “Even if you respectfully question some of the rulings, which we believe can’t be substantiated by the case as presented – the facts as presented – it is considered an attack on the judiciary…forgive me if we are a bit concerned about the decisions made. But it is very convenient for APNU and the AFC to say this…the same people who tried to undermine the independence of the judiciary, now, conveniently, complain that ‘Jagdeo is criticising the magistrate’…they had an Attorney General in the last government that practically threatened judge in the court…in the past, we’ve had the PNC run the judiciary. There was a period when the PNC – the party paramountcy – was more important than the independence of the judiciary…This is the history they come from…if anyone has a history of undermining the independence of the judiciary it is the PNC.”
Dr. Jagdeo added that the democratic credentials of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are “established” and the Party’s position on supporting the independence of the judiciary is “unmatched” in Guyana.
“Our democratic credentials here are very established, our position as a political party and as a government in terms of respect for the independence of the judiciary is unmatched in Guyana and the same people who sought to undermine the independence of the judiciary now conveniently complain,” he stressed.
Four years later, the ongoing electoral fraud trial related to Guyana’s 2020 General and Regional Elections has experienced another delay due to the reported illness of Magistrate Leron Daly. Originally scheduled for its fourth hearing on Monday (August 5, 2024) at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, the trial was rescheduled to Wednesday (August 7, 2024). It has now been rescheduled to September 17, 2024.
The defendants include prominent political figures and former election officials, charged with various offences related to manipulating election results. Charged are People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) activist Carol Smith-Joseph; former PNCR Chair, Volda Lawrence; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers; former Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
Together, they are facing 19 conspiracy charges.
Dr Jagdeo reiterated his concerns about delays, potential injustices, and a perceived lack of transparency and independence within the judiciary relating to the election fraud trial. “The lawyers are attempting to either frustrate the presentation of this evidence or alternately delay because they know of the inevitable outcome,” the GS stated.
Guyanese were subject to a five-month wait for the final results from the March 2020 General and Regional Elections because of the actions of several persons involved in the process at the GECOM Secretariat and other elements.
In April 2023, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) concluded that senior GECOM officials had colluded to alter the election results in favor of APNU+AFC, undermining the electoral process. The report was handed over the report to President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on April 26, 2023, by Chairman of the CoI, Retired Justice of Appeal, Stanley John. The report found that ‘shockingly brazen attempts’ were made by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers; and Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, to derail and corrupt the statutorily prescribed procedure for the counting, ascertaining, and tabulation of votes for the election. The former senior GECOM officials “abandoned all need for neutrality and impartiality and demonstrated a bias for a competing political party and, in the course of events over those days, demonstrated an open connection with that party and sought a desired result for that party,” the report said. The report also said that the trio attempted to stymie the declaration of the election results for the purpose of ‘stealing’ the elections.