Repeated objections to the presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events of the 2020 elections by the APNU+AFC Coalition have not gone unnoticed but have done little to stop the government from moving ahead with the planned public hearings set for early November 2022.
The most recent criticisms of the well-supported and endorsed CoI came directly from Opposition Parliamentarian Roysdale Forde, SC, who is also the main local attorney behind the Coalition’s defence of its two elections petition, both already thrown out by the High Court.
Forde now challenges the government on what he said is a lack of consultation in establishing, staffing, and funding the CoI; he is also in disagreement with President Irfaan Ali’s decision in appointing the Commissioners and setting the Terms of Reference (ToRs). However, the President is empowered under the law to do just that in the exercise of his deliberate judgment.
But Attorney General Anil Nandlall has rubbished Forde’s criticisms.
“Not that [former] President [David] Granger is any standard bearer but he established many CoIs under his presidency and none of them enjoyed any form of consultation.
“I do not recall Mr. Forde expressing any form of criticism to the exercise of Granger’s presidential power, isn’t it interesting he gets a voice now?”
Nandlall, during a recent interview with the News Room said the argument about consultation is without basis and urged Forde to offer critical opinions on the merits and demerits of the ToRs and the quality of the Commissioners appointed.
The Attorney General also pointed out that the APNU+AFC’s disapproval of the CoI is perpetrator’s objection disguised as criticism.
“In the same way that any perpetrator of a crime will object to that crime being investigated, the APNU+AFC would always find a Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 elections objectionable.”
“The reasons are obvious,” Nandlall told the News Room in a recent telephone interview.
He urged Guyanese to understand that while the APNU+AFC might be prevented from outrightly and plainly rejecting the CoI because of their implication in the activities that will be investigated, their fabricated criticism must be seen for what it is.
Nandlall explained that President Ali was responding to a mountain of calls from the citizenry, made even before he was sworn in as President, for the protracted elections, marred by fraud, to be investigated by competent international jurists.
“It is the electorate who made first the call for a CoI and criminal charges… calls also came from observer missions, the international community as well as important stakeholder organisations such as the Private Sector Commission, religious bodies, labour movement and the Guyana Bar Association,” Nandlall reminded.
More importantly, he recalled that the urging for an elections CoI also came from the other political parties that contested the March 02, 2020 general and regional elections and were also victims of the fraud attempted by the APNU+AFC in collusion with key actors within the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The former APNU+AFC coalition government is accused of being in concert with former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and others to fraudulently change the outcome of the elections in favour of the then David Granger-led government.
A recount confirmed that the PPP/C won the elections and Ali was sworn in as President on August 2, 2020, five months after the elections were held.
Now, two years on, the APNU+AFC is opposing the CoI even as several of its party members and former GECOM officials are before the courts for electoral fraud-related charges.
Nandlall pointed out that the CoI has the support of the entire Guyana with the exception of the APNU+AFC.
“Why?” he quizzed but hasten to add that the CoI will go ahead in a bit to expose those who played a role in seeking to change the results of the election and to ensure that they are brought to justice.
“…and what transpired must be permanently recorded so future generations can learn about it and it can act as a deterrent for future elections.”
Justice of the Appeal (retired) of Turks and Caicos Stanley John, former Chancellor of the Judiciary (Guyana) Carl Singh, High Court Judge (Belize) and former Justice of Appeal (ag) in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Godfrey P. Smith were appointed as Commissioners to the presidential commission.
Justice John is the chair of the Commission.
When public hearings start next month, the Commission has six months to assess the evidence and write its report which will be handed over to President Ali.
In addition to investigating the events of the five-month protracted elections, the CoI will also examine the weaknesses in Guyana’s electoral systems and produce recommendations to fix the system.
Of course PNC will find objectionable any COI into the election. Of course! They ain’t fooling anybody.