Owen Arthur calls Harmon ‘out of order’ for attack on Gonsalves -warns that Guyana could face suspension from CARICOM if results not accepted

Owen Arthur, the head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission to the March 2nd elections, yesterday repudiated the attacks which have been levelled against Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves by APNU+AFC election agent Joseph Harmon over a statement about the recount of votes.

Speaking in two separate interviews with Guyanese media, Arthur, a former long-serving Prime Minister of Barbados, declared that Gonsalves’ statement that CARICOM will not stand by and watch an election being stolen is perfectly in order and is exactly what is expected.

“Caribbean countries, including Guyana, have signed a Charter for Civil Society which enjoins upon them the responsibility to have free and fair elections.

It would, therefore, be entirely contrary to the provisions of the Charter for Civil Society for CARICOM countries to stand by if an election is being stolen…Mr Gonsalves was only speaking within the context of the spirit and the letter of the Charter of Civil Society when he made the statement that he made,” Arthur told the Newsroom in a telephone interview.