Guyana denies vote meddling, pans sanctions

Guyana's government says it "regrets" a US decision to strip visas from officials whom it falsely accuses of meddling in the results of 2 March elections.

The government has not meddled in the electoral process, "and urges all countries interested in Guyana's development to await the logical conclusion of the process which is being managed by the Elections Commission," the government said.

The US yesterday imposed sanctions on officials it blames for resisting a handover of power to the political opposition, which won the parliamentary election based on a vote recount that the governing coalition of President David Granger does not recognize.

The US embassy in Georgetown is currently informing the targeted officials of the sanctions, ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch said today.

The outcome of the political impasse will shape the future of the South American country's emerging oil industry. ExxonMobil started production from the deepwater Stabroek field in December 2019. Current output of around 80,000 b/d is projected to hit 750,000 b/d by 2025.

The PPP says it would cut royalties and make other changes to contracts granted in the wake of ExxonMobil's agreement.

International pressure is mounting. The results should be announced based on the vote recount, Canada and Brazil said.

Guyana's electoral process "has become a long-running soap opera, pregnant with real danger for the people of Guyana and (regional trade group) Caricom," the group's chairman and St Vincent prime minister Ralph Gonsalves said. Guyana is a founding member of Caricom.

By Canute James