U.S. Congressmen say world ‘completely unified’ in call for recount results to be declared

Today, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chairman and Vice Chair respectively of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and Trade, issued the following statement in support of democracy in Guyana:

“As friends of Guyana who recently traveled to the country in January, we urge the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to promptly issue a Declaration of Results based on the results of the national recount. CARICOM, the Organization of American States, diplomatic missions, and domestic civil society organizations all confirmed that the recount was completed in a professional and transparent manner, providing the basis for a Declaration of Results.

We strongly support the multilateral efforts made to support the people of Guyana throughout this process, which have been led by CARICOM and supported by the U.S. Embassy, the European Union, the Canadian and British High Commissions, and the Organization of American States. While we do not endorse President Trump’s and Secretary Pompeo’s unilateral approach to conducting foreign policy around the world, we stand with our career diplomats and with the international community, which is completely unified in calling for the immediate Declaration of Results based on the recount.

We condemn all efforts to undermine the credibility of the March 2nd election, including recent actions taken by the Chief Elections Officer to effectively disenfranchise thousands of voters and manipulate the vote count.

We fully support GECOM Chairwoman Claudette Singh’s decision to dismiss all of the Chief Elections Officer’s fraudulent reports and are confident that she will declare a winner based on the actual vote count, as certified through the recount process. Guyana’s leaders must prioritize national unity and the long-term health of Guyana’s democratic institutions and abide by the will of the Guyanese people, as reflected in the recount results.

We commend the people of Guyana for their remarkable patience over the last four months, but they have waited far too long. GECOM must promptly issue a Declaration of Results and begin the democratic transition process.”