U.S ‘gravely’ concerned no credible results seven weeks after elections in Guyana

The United States Government continues to keep a close eye on the electoral process in Guyana, noting Friday that it has been seven weeks since Guyanese voted there is no credible election results.

The latest comments were made by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Michael Kozak who addressed reporters during a press briefing on Friday.

“It has been more than seven weeks since Guyana’s elections.  There has been still no credible outcome.  The Guyana Elections Commission has a preliminary work plan for a recount but has not issued a timeline.

“We remain gravely concerned that so much time has passed without a credible result. Further delays violate the Guyanese people’s rights to a transparent, credible, and timely electoral process,” Ambassador Kozak said.

Earlier Friday, United States Ambassador to Guyana Sarah Ann Lynch also urged GECOM to move ahead with the recount in an expeditious manner.

On March 26, the US Government summoned Guyana’s Ambassador to the US Riyad Insanally sternly reiterate its position that it will not accept any Government which is sworn in using flawed elections results.

The US Government continues to maintain that vote tabulation marred Guyana’s elections and has been calling for the national recount initiated by President David Granger under the supervision of CARICOM.

On March 6, Kozak urged that no candidate is sworn in until issues are resolved surrounding the declaration of unverified results for the country’s largest voting district.

International governments, including the U.S., UK, Canada, and the EU, along with observers from the Commonwealth, the OAS, the EU and CARICOM, have all said that if the verification of the Region Four Statements of Poll are not completed, the elections results would not be credible.