Credit: caribbeannationalweekly.com/  (Left)  Guyana incumbent President David Granger, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC),  and main opposition candidate Irfaan Ali, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Guyana’s election results are being held hostage to the world’s largest new oil discovery that will generate billions of petro dollars to whoever is in charge of the government of the tiny South America nation.  Guyana held its first election since the massive oil find in 2015 on March 2 between  incumbent president  David Granger and challenger Irfaan Ali. There are huge stakes in the election as oil production could reach an estimated 1.2mn bl/d by 2030, increasing government income to $120 Billion over the next decade- a tempting prize in a country ranked as one of the poorest in the Western hemisphere.  Granger is of the People’s National Congress – Reform (PNCR) coalition, and rival Ali of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP).  The head of Guyana’s Supreme Court ordered a partial recount of votes in the March 2 disputed general election. The opposition accused the government of fraud in favour of incumbent President  Granger.  A judge of the Supreme Court ruled the electoral body should not declare a winner before the recount is finished. The vote will determine who is in power when huge new oil reserves are explored.  Both sides have claimed victory. 

A new recount deadline has been set for June 13, with a final election decision to be announced on June 16. The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) said in a statement it is mindful that the recount of the votes cast in the March 2 General and Regional elections in Guyana, will be concluded in the next few days.

“The people of Guyana have been patient and they now deserve a peaceful transition of government based on the majority vote as reflected in the recount and in support of democracy and the rule of law, which all OAS member states expect to be upheld.”

–Luis Almagro,  OAS Secretary General.

OAS International Election Observers have been present at the recount center – the Arthur Chung Conference Center – each day of the national recount.  On the invitation of President Granger and with the agreement of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, the recount was also conducted in the presence of three high-level and well-respected scrutineers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),  Almagro said.  He added: “OAS recalls that both President Granger and Dr. Jagdeo have agreed to accept the results of the recount, as conducted by GECOM and scrutinized by CARICOM, as final.”

Almagro also said that despite some inconsistencies in the electoral materials reviewed during the recount, as is normally the case in any electoral process, “the OAS Mission has no reason to doubt that the results emanating from the recount will be credible. A declaration based on these results would lead to the installation of a legitimate government.”