Access to resources and loans ‘will dry up’ with sanctions – Ramkarran

Leader of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran has expressed concerns over looming economic sanctions if the declaration of the 2020 elections results is prolonged further.

Ramkarran in his weekly blog noted that the impact of the sanctions will be felt by every Guyanese as they will hinder international funding, relations with other countries and stop the officials from accessing petroleum funds.

“International cooperation, including funding for projects, access to resources and loans will dry up. Guyana’s relations with the OAS, the Commonwealth and CARICOM, will be adversely affected.

“Oil resources will become inaccessible. This is the future that awaits Guyana and its people,” the former Speaker of the House said in his weekly blog, Conversation Tree.

The United States last week revoked the visas of key government ministers, officials of the elections commission, an attorney, and financiers of the Coalition over growing international intolerance that the Coalition refuses to concede and allow Dr Irfaan Ali to be sworn in as President.

President David Granger issued a statement in which he expressed regret over the decision taken by the US but members of the APNU+AFC have said the decision is aimed at instilling fear.

The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday where it will discuss Guyana’s ongoing electoral process.

Ramkarran said, “if APNU+AFC intends to continue thumbing its nose at the international community, and refusing to declare the election results based on the recount, the sanctions imposed on APNU+AFC and election officials will extend to their families, then their enablers, then will extend to economic sanctions, direct and indirect, against APNU+AFC and election officials, their families and the country as a whole.”

The United Kingdom and Canada have also signalled their intention to impose similar sanctions against top Government officials.

The former House Speaker pointed out that Guyana has achieved the dubious distinction of taking the longest time to announce election results and of having the largest number of court cases concerning elections between the commencement of the voting and the declaration.

“Impatience is in the air,” he said referring to comments made by former Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, who called on his APNU+AFC colleagues to “find a way out today.”

Gaskin last Friday evening that “there is not a shred of evidence” that the APNU+AFC coalition won the elections.