Gonsalves bumps ‘jaundiced sources’ who criticized Mottley for work to preserve Guyana’s democracy
The firm stance taken by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the electoral process in Guyana continues with St Vincent’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves taking over as chair of the 15-member regional trade and integration bloc.
Gonsalves on Friday morning defended the stance taken by his predecessor and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley.
“Her [Mia Mottley] helpful initiatives to assist in the preservation of democracy in Guyana within the terms of the CARICOM Charter Civil Society will be long remembered despite unwarranted, vulgar and opportunistic criticisms of her from assorted jaundiced sources who ought to know better,” he said in his inaugural speech as the Chairman of CARICOM.
Mottley has been criticized for her comments on Guyana’s elections after she called on the results of the vote recount –scrutineered by a CARICOM team –to be used to declare the results of the election.
The recount results showed that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) beat APNU+AFC by 15,416 votes to win the elections.
Gonsalves himself has called on the APNU+AFC Coalition to concede defeat.
In June, he said CARICOM will not stand idly by and watch an election being stolen in Guyana, saying the results of the national vote recount must be declared and the loser should concede.
“When you take part in an election, there is always a chance that you will lose, and if you lose… ‘take your licks like a man’,” he declared during an interview on NCB radio in St Vincent on June 10.
His comments came shortly before the CARICOM high-level team presented its report and said they were of the “unshakeable” conclusion that the results of the recount reflect the will of the people when they voted on March 2.
The Organisation of American States (OAS) – one of the international Elections Observer Missions (EOM) – along with other local observer groups have said that the recount results are credible and should be used to declare the winner.
