GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Aug 1, CMC – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo says he has no doubt that the high profile elections fraud case may end up before the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
The trial of former prominent political figures and former election officials began on July 29 and is expected to run until September 13. The case has been adjourned until Monday, August 5.
Charged are former former chief elections officer at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield; his deputy Roxanne Myers; former returning officer, Clairmont Mingo; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
In addition former health minister Volda Lawrence and opposition activist Carol Smith-Joseph are all accused of a number of offences, including misconduct in public office, uttering forged documents, and plotting to deceive the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes.
It is alleged that the defendants inflated or facilitated the inflation of results for Region Four, the country’s largest voting district, to give the then ruling A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change ( APNU+AFC) coalition a majority win at the controversial presidential and regional elections in March 2020.
All the defendants are on bail.
“Given what has happened in Venezuela and the close parallel to what we see here in Georgetown, it would be crucial to reflect on democracy especially now that the trials have started for those who the Commission of Inquiry found culpable of trying to steal the elections in favour of the APNU/AFC. We have waited for a long time to get to this stage,” said Jagdeo, the general secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
He told his weekly news conference that the people charged have tried all forms of delaying tactics and have succeeded so fa.
“The last attempt was dismissed by the Chief Justice and the trial has started. And, you will see a similar pattern now and the frustration expressed by the prosecution that on numerous occasions uncalled for that the defense lawyers are again trying to stall the trials by making frivolous objections. And often, these objections are entertained.
“And so, I have no doubt that the way this is going this matter will end up at the CCJ ultimately. Therefore, it is crucial that the records be in the public domain, if they are not going to be kept in the Court, so that what is presented and the testimonies in the witnesses will be available in the media and elsewhere,’ said Jagdeo, who leaves here on Thursday for the United States on “government” and other business.
He told reporters that ultimately, when the case gets to the CCJ, he is hoping that the full picture of the testimonies discounting all of the objections and the suppression of the evidence would be available to the judges and that there would be no doubts about what was presented during the case.
Jagdeo stressed that it is incumbent on the media to report almost precisely what is occurring in the courtroom relating to this high-profile case alleviating any doubts in the future what was testified to.
He said that the government fully intends to invite the international community to observe this case, given their high interest in this matter in 2020 and subsequently.
“It is crucial that we have the international community looking at it. They are urging that people who try to undermine public officials and democracy and the will of the people must face prosecution. Now, we are at a stage where we would invite them to observe the court drama that is taking place,” he added.
CMC/gt/ir/2024