Islamic Trust, Catholic Church calls on PPP to “respect the will of the people”
– Says “Put Guyana first” Bishop Francis Alleyne of the Roman Catholic Church has called on the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), to respect the will of the Guyanese people and let the country move on.
Bishop Francis Alleyne
Bishop Alleyne sent out a public missive saying that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s preliminary results on the 2015 elections as of Thursday afternoon, show a photo-finish, with APNU+AFC likely to be declared the winner. He continued that “exemplary conduct of Guyanese in turning out, exercising their civil responsibility and waiting patiently as well as the various endorsements on the electoral process, are a credit to us all and deserve the greatest respect. “I therefore urge that the declaration of the elections results be done quickly so that the voice and good will of the People is not taken for granted.” He said that given the closeness of the results, as well as the divisiveness of the campaign, it is clear that much work lies ahead to build lasting reconciliation and trust. “The well-known adage says “forgive and forget”. In reality, we don’t forget, but we can remember without the bitterness and pain: we can be healed and reconciled and trust again and must claim this,” said Bishop Alleyne. He added “To this end, I call on all to exercise moderation, for the losing party to concede immediately upon the declaration and the winner to magnanimously accept, so that as one people we can focus with resolve on the critical business of nation building.” “Our faith traditions teach us that “the person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society – in economics and politics, in law and policy – directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community” (USCCB). I pray that as a people we encourage and support one another in broad-based inclusion in the governance and life of the nation.” In addition, the Guyana Islamic Trust sent out a statement of similar impact. The religious body said that “All of the foreign and local observers have endorsed the process and acknowledged that the elections were free and fair. They have also highly commended GECOM for their administration of the elections. In light of this, the Guyana Islamic Trust is calling on all the political parties and the Guyanese people to accept the official results from GECOM. We are also asking GECOM to expeditiously release the official results of the 2015 elections.” Further, the Guyana Islamic Trust said, “We urge our fellow Guyanese to continue to demonstrate the maturity and patience that they have shown in the last few days until the official declaration is made by GECOM. Guyana is first and it belongs to all of us.”