PETITION – GUYANA ELECTIONS

May 15, 2015

We, citizens of the Caribbean Community, having considered the events leading up to and following the announcement of preliminary results for the elections of Monday May 11, 2015 and having reviewed the comments of major players including the main political contestants, the electoral authorities, international observer missions and leading members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Georgetown, hereby call on all concerned to:

1. Recall their commitment, prior to the polls, to honour the official outcome of the elections as tabulated and presented by the independent Guyana Elections Commission;

2. Be mindful of the negative impact of post-election conflict, as evidenced in the circumstances leading to eventual endorsement of the Herdmanston Accord of January 17, 1998 which helped restore peace and order following the contentious outcome of the elections of December 1997;

3. Remain mindful of the commitment undertaken by political contestants in the Code of Conduct for Political Parties contesting the General and Regional Elections 2015 that “upon the Declaration of the Official Results by the Guyana Elections Commission, our Party advocates that all Parties and candidates, agents, members and supporters must exhibit graciousness relative to the elections results”;

4. Recall the willing endorsement of the CARICOM-brokered Accord within which it was an undertaking by the main political parties (PNC and PPPC) “activate arrangements for sustained dialogue between them with a view to fostering greater harmony and confidence and resolving issues on which agreement can be reached.”

5. Understand the profound implications for social peace and stability of non-acceptance of the results of the election by the political parties that engaged in the electoral process, particularly considering the existence of their own representative commissioners on GECOM.

Having considered these issues, we have formed the opinion that the refusal of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) to concede defeat following announcement of the preliminary results of the May 11 constitutes a dangerous political manouvre that has implications for the maintenance of peace and stability in Guyana.

We call on the party to consider its past and present commitments to honour the integrity of a process that has earned the endorsement of independent national, regional and international bodies and upon which the people of Guyana now rely to pursue their future aspirations.