The attempts by the APNU/AFC leader, Mr. David Granger, to hold on to power through military means did not go unnoticed by either the local or international community. In his article, “This is a Military Coup d’etat” Mr. Anthony Vieira warns of Granger’s abuse of the military to cling to power. Further, Mr. Lenox Shuman of the LJP advised in a recent video that the threat of the GDF and Police machinery controlled by the APNU/AFC is very real.
David Granger boosts of a military career and proudly holds the title of “Brigadier” David Granger. He allegedly worked closely with former dictator Forbes Burnham to rig elections during the pre-1992 PNC dictatorship era and consequently lauded Mr. Burnham as a role model leader to be emulated.
However, Granger’s attempt to rig the March 2, 2020 elections were clumsy in the age of information: mobile phones, internet and satellite where information flies rapidly along the virtual superhighways at the speed of light. First, the returning officer, Mr. Mingo, attempted to input falsified data unto a spreadsheet. But this was done in the presence of a sturdy paper trail and the glaring eyes of international observers.
But according to Mr. Granger and the APNU/AFC, the international observers were supposed to sit there and say nothing: just observe. The APNU/AFC was surprised when all international observers from the European Union to the Canadian High Commissioner and the Carter Center opposed the March 4 declaration by Mr. Mingo as fraudulent. When protests broke out in the streets and villages across Guyana, Mr. Granger quickly activated the police and military to quell an unarmed civilian population. And this is a clear indication of attempting to establish a dictatorship through Martial Law.
The caretaker government has denied entry to the Carter Center and has proclaimed that the CARICOM observer team is enough to scrutinize the recount process which was agreed upon after much chaos. It makes you wonder what relationship exists between the APNU/AFC and CARICOM and if the CARICOM will bend to the pressure of favoring the APNU/AFC through fraudulent actions. Even the opinion of the OAS was discredited by the APNU/AFC. Can Guyana really afford to lose the respect of the Organization of American States which is a military alliance comprising of some of the world’s most powerful military?
What will happen in the upcoming days after the recount proves once again that the APNU/AFC has lost? Will David Granger once again attempt to establish Martial Law in Guyana? Can the GDF really stand against the United States, Canada and 33 other countries which make up the OAS? What happens if the Venezuelan military issues threats against Guyana but Guyana no longer has the backing of the Organization of American states which includes Brazil, the United States and Canada?
Further, can struggling Guyana really bear the burden of international sanctions which will be inevitable if a military dictatorship is established in Guyana? If you think oil money will save Guyana, look at Venezuela which has 50 times the oil reserves that Guyana has.
We certainly hope good sense and wisdom will prevail in the days ahead and Mr. Granger will gracefully concede defeat so that he can earn the respect of the Guyanese and international community while he prepares for his 2025 comeback. That way, there will be enough to go around for all Guyanese.
A good opposition serves a noble purpose in any democracy, and we trust that the winning party will allow the opposition to play a more inclusive role in government for the good of all Guyanese.
Mr. Edgar Thomas can replace the present commissioner of Police position, because the present commissioner abuse his post