Guyana’s int’l image has rebounded – Canadian envoy

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee believes that Guyana’s international and regional image has rebounded, since the battering it took during the five-month-long election controversy.

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee

In an interview with this publication, Chatterjee pointed out that not only did Guyana’s image take a beating internationally, but it also suffered within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) region.

“Definitely. In fact, let me put it this way. (Guyana’s) image took a real beating during the five months. And I’m talking about everywhere. Your own Caricom neighbours. It was noticed everywhere, what was going on in Guyana,” Chatterjee explained.

What was going on was the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s refusal to demit office, after losing the March 2 General and Regional Elections by more than 15,000 votes.

In fact, Chatterjee and her three ABCE diplomatic counterparts (former British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn, US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch and European Union Ambassador Fernando Ponce-Canto) had to be vocal in their calls for democracy to prevail in Guyana, and for the will of the Guyanese people as expressed in the polls, to be respected.

The Western diplomats had walked out of the tabulation process for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) – Guyana’s largest voting district – after deeming it as lacking transparency and credibility.

Last month, UAE royal Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum (2nd, right) paid Guyana a visit

As the electoral impasse continued months after the March polls, the ABCE diplomatic community continued mounting pressure on the former Government to concede defeat, warning of Guyana facing isolation and consequences.

In fact, the United States had gone ahead to impose visa sanctions against several Government and electoral officials and their immediate family members for their role in the controversy. The UK, Canada, as well as the EU had also indicated that they were considering doing likewise. Eventually, the former Government finally demitted office.

There were back-to-back visits between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi (right)

“Happily, democracy prevailed,” Chatterjee said. “It was tested in Guyana but it prevailed. I think that is a testament to the strength… first of all, I think the Guyanese people were extremely patient. There wasn’t violence. There weren’t riots. And full credit goes to the people of Guyana for being patient. And I think, I hope, that only good things happen moving forward.”

International image

Guyana’s international image first started taking a beating when the former APNU/AFC Government fell to a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018 but did not call elections within the constitutionally mandated three months.

Instead, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) finally held General and Regional Elections on March 2 2020. But as if the previous delay was not enough, Guyanese were forced to wait another five months before the results could finally be declared by GECOM on August 2, 2020, after local and international pressure on APNU/AFC which was reluctant to give up power.

In the aftermath of the controversial five-month-long elections, a number of high ranking GECOM officials have been investigated by the police and charged for misconduct in public office and forgery.

Guyana also hosted US Development Bank Head Adam Boehler (left)

They include former GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, who was on October 12 slapped with six charges by the police, relating to forgery and misconduct in public office, as it pertains to his alleged role in the attempts to rig the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The CEO is being accused of attempting to undermine the will of the people by repeatedly refusing to submit the verified results from the National Recount to Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh, for a final declaration.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has said publicly that a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) will be launched into GECOM, in a bid to restore confidence in the election machinery of the country and get to the bottom of the events that followed the elections.

In the meantime, the President and his Government have done extensive work to repair the image of the country. This has included representing Guyana at the 75th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Virtual Island Summit 2020, the Forecast on Latin America and the Caribbean Conference 2020, organised by the United States Department of Commerce and the Association of American Chambers of Commerce.

It has also included representing Guyana at the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity, the Meeting of Heads of Government on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond and meetings of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community.

Guyana has also hosted a number of high-profile figures in the few months following President Ali’s ascension to high office, including incumbent United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Head of the US Development Bank Adam Boehler, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates, Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Brazil Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo.