India favours early conclusion of electoral process in Guyana, hopes outcome is respected by all
Jul 25, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 25 : India said on Saturday that it looks forward to the early conclusion of the electoral process in the interest of democracy in Guyana and hoped that the outcome of the election is respected by all parties.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in response to media queries that India has been closely following developments of general and regional elections held on March 2, 2020.
"It has been more than four months since the elections in Guyana and the results are still awaited. As a time-tested friend of Guyana, India looks forward to the early conclusion of the electoral process in the interest of democracy in Guyana. India further hopes that the outcome of the election is respected by all parties," he said.
Four months after the most important election in Guyana's history, there is still no officially recognised winner. The paralysis is hitting the country's fledgeling oil industry and simmering tensions that the South American country might be on the verge of a racially charged civil war.
Rival camps see themselves as the rightful rulers of the nation and their opponents as would-be usurpers. Officials in regional organizations and foreign governments want those in power to step down and pave the way for a transition.
The ruling multiparty coalition led by President David Granger has latched on to an observations report by the country's chief elections official that as many as 115,000 votes cast in the election should be invalidated and that emigrants and the deceased were registered as having voted. Granger's opponents reject the accusations as "baseless" and say their presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, should be allowed to take the oath of office.
Injunctions and appeals have taken the dispute to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice.
However, as per The Washington Post reports, the bulk of the international community, including Caricom, the Caribbean's main regional bloc, and the Organization of American States, or OAS, appear eager for Granger to concede.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week urged the Guyanese to "get on with it" and threatened potential punitive measures on Guyana or its leading officials if the country's democracy remains deadlocked.
