Please see below for full statement from the People’s Progressive Party
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic is compelled to respond to a preposterous document titled “DOSSIER Guyana Elections 2020”, bearing the insignia of the APNU + AFC on its face which was prepared by a Michael Granger, and sent, via email, to Mr. Joseph Albertini, a principal of a US company called JJ&B LLC.
This “sanction-busting” company has been hired by the Government of Guyana, using public funds, to produce and disseminate an utterly erroneous narrative of what transpired in relation to the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. All the accredited International and Local Observers (including the Organisation of America States (OAS), European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, the Carter Centre, Caricom, Amcham, the local Private Sector Commission, and the Guyana Bar Association), the Diplomatic Community, the Governments of the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean Community and the United Nations – all issued reports and public statements condemning the naked and vulgar attempts by the APNU/AFC, acting in collaboration with the Guyana Elections Commission, to declare false results for Region #4, the most populous of the ten electoral districts.
Several individual governments and international organisations have publicly stated that any government sworn in on the basis of these results which lack credibility, will not be recognized as a legitimate Government and would face sanctions.
The Chief Justice of the country also delivered a written judgment in litigation filed on behalf of the PPP/C, declaring the tabulation of the said Region 4 results, as fraudulent and illegal and directed that those results be tabulated in accordance with law. The relevant elections officer again refused to comply with the law and the Chief Justice’s Orders and declared fraudulent results a second time. The Elections Commission eventually but reluctantly, in the end, was forced to accept that these results were fraudulent and have unanimously decided to ignore these results and have a recount of the ballots done. Currently, the modalities for this recount are being agonizingly worked.
Despite the world knowing the uncomplicated truth about the rank fraud which permeated the declaration of the elections results for region 4, and in this period when our Nation is gripped with combatting the Covid-19 virus and the Government continuously pleading a lack of resources to confront this deadly dilemma, the Ministry of the Presidency is able to fork out some US$72,000 per month, to pay this lobbying firm and individuals to spread absolutely misleading information on behalf of the APNU/AFC, so that they can continue to hold on to power illegally and in defiance of the Constitution and every democratic principle known to the free world. The use of public funds to pay for the promotion of a party brief is not only in violation of the Procurement Act, but constitutes a fraud under the ordinary criminal laws of the country. The retained USA firm and its principals, who assisted in the preparation of this APNU/AFC Dossier may, therefore, be guilty of fraudulently misrepresenting to the USA Government that their client is the Government of Guyana when in fact, it is a political party.
This firm may now have not only implicated itself in a conspiracy to disseminate false information to US lawmakers but also may be implicated in a criminal enterprise to misappropriate public funds.
This document is nothing but a tissue of lies which descends to such levels as peddling and promoting ethnic, religious and racial hostilities. This is the dangerous extent to which these political tyrants are prepared to travel, so that they can continue to squat in government.
We comprehensively reject this diatribe and we are in the process of preparing a detailed response, not because the dishonest Dossier is worthy of it but only to set the public record straight.
People’s Progressive Party
April 15, 2020
