Clarke, Jeffries condemn Trump’s
interference in Guyana’s elections
By Nelson A. King
Two high-ranking United
States Democratic Congressional
Representatives on Friday
strongly condemned the
Trump administration’s interference
in Guyana’s elections,
saying that it infringes on the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
member-state’s sovereignty.
Caribbean American Congresswoman
Yvette D. Clarke
and African American Congressman
Hakeem Jeffries
— both members of the New
York Congressional Delegation
— said they were perturbed
by this week’s imposition of
visa restrictions by the Trump
administration on “Guyanese
individuals undermining
democracy” in light of the disputed
Mar. 2 general elections
in Guyana.
“What I have consistently
said is that Guyana, as a sovereign
nation, has a responsibility
to conduct free and fair
elections, and that every asset
under its Constitution must be
adhered to in order for the democratic
Caribbean L 8 ife, JULY 24-30, 2020
process to reach its logical
conclusion,” said Clarke, the
daughter of Jamaican immigrants,
in a television program.
“It is my understanding that
that process is not complete.
“So, for any entity, outside
the Guyanese people themselves,
to weigh in with their
feelings of what is taking place
is an infringement on the sovereignty
and the democratic process
of the nation,” added Clarke,
representative for the predominantly
Caribbean 9th Congressional
District in Brooklyn and
Vice Chair of the US House of
Representatives’ Committee on
Energy and Commerce.
“With the Trump administration,
their motives are questionable,”
continued Clarke,
First Vice Chair of the US Congressional
Black Caucus. “They
have expressed and demonstrated
to the American people their
corrupt intent in other parts of
the world. But those who will
use them (Trump administration)
as a legitimate arbiter of
what is taking place (in Guyana),
I would tell anyone who
does that that they do that at
the peril of essentially digressing
in terms of their own credibility.
“When we look at what is
taking place in Guyana, I’ve
said to people: ‘What if Guyana
was in the position that
the US was in, when we had
the Supreme Court look at the
election of Al Gore and George
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Associated Press / Jacquelyn Martin
W. Bush (in November 2000),
would we have wanted Guyana
to be putting out proclamation
of sanctions for the United
States because we were going
through a process that had to
review an election that took
place in the United States?’” the
congresswoman asked.
The Nov. 7, 2000 US Presidential
election results between
Gore and Bush were considered
too close to call, with the US
Supreme Court eventually ruling,
a month later, in favor of
Bush, over the disputed Florida
vote count, even though Gore
had won the popular vote overall.
Gore, however, lost the Electoral
College vote, with Florida’s
25 electoral vote being key
to Bush’s triumph.
“In the same way, Guyana
is going through a democratic
process to reconcile the voting
dynamic within that nation,
and I don’t believe anyone can
reconcile that outside of the
Guyana people,” Clarke said.
Congresswoman Yvette D.
Clarke. Photo by Nelson A. King
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