guyanatimesgy.com
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2020
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Granger, stop pushing the rules of law to the limit Dear Editor, Guyanese, the false tabulation of the votes of the March 2 elections, and the manoeuvrings that followed have shown little regard for the adherence to democracy. Free and fair elections have been on trial in Guyana for more than one hundred and twenty days, four months. Some officers of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have been proven in a recount of all the votes that started on May 6, for thirty-three days, to have manipulated poll results to increase ballots for the APNU/ AFC party of President Granger significantly, and to reduce votes for People’s Progressive Party drastically, the recount, scrutineered by agents of Caricom and observed by representatives of the OAS and local groups, this elongated and painful process has seen the PNCRdominated APNU/AFC party, making every effort to derail the recount process. However, at the end of the recount, the trial of democracy had heightened as the recounted votes show that PNCR bullies, APNU/AFC, has clearly lost the elections, hence its officials and leaders were reported to be demanding that the entire General Election should be voided. The basis for that alarming demand was an unsubstantiated allegation that dead or absent persons voted in the election. Curiously, this ominous statement had come after the APNU/AFC leadership had earlier declared – along with all the observer missions – that the voting, at which every party had agents present, was free and
fair. In the wake of intense pressure from the international and local community for President David Granger to concede his defeat at the March 2, 2020 polls, sections of his A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition party have signalled a blatant determination not to give up, the USA Senators in one of their many statements said it was “unacceptable” that nearly four months since their National Election, the Guyanese people are still waiting for an official result following the General and Regional Elections. Recent reports suggest questionable manoeuvres by interested parties designed to continue forestalling a final declaration of results, which members of the press say indicates a defeat for the incumbent APNU/AFC Government. President Granger should honour the will of the Guyanese people and concede, they added, while extending their support and solidarity to the people of Guyana. For the sake of the people, the future of democracy and the rule of law in Guyana by using various ploys and tactics to gain a psychological advantage over their supporters, the primary exercises in propaganda is the daily norm of team David Granger, the ongoing uncertainty in Guyana must end. Team Granger and his conies’ use of dubious methods to win or gain a serious advantage in the election will not happen, the time for that has already gone. APNU/AFC
has lost these elections. It is posted on every light post in Guyana and around the world. Granger, stop pushing the rules to the limit, you are already caught trying to use whatever dubious method possible to achieve the desired end. Another APNU/AFC Administration will not get the opportunity to bankrupt Guyana again. The PNC, PNCR – APNU/AFC is in the bankrupting business. Mr David Granger, please honour the will of the Guyanese people, take your defeat like a man and concede. You like everyone else had confidence in these elections as a political concept, we are fully aware that elections are not an end in themselves, their purpose is to ascertain the will of the people regarding their Government. They are processes to confer legitimacy to govern, and to peacefully resolve political competition. A genuine election is ultimately one in which the outcome reflects the freely expressed choices of the people. An election is “an easy contest” where the party that gets the most votes must be declared the winner. It was established through the recount process that the People's Progressive Party received the most valid votes and as such must be declared the winner. Whether an election and its outcomes enjoy credibility in the eyes of the country’s citizens – whether it has achieved its function of giving voice to the will of the people – will depend on the extent to which the democratic principles of universal suffrage and political equal-
ity, as well as other international obligations, are respected, and on the extent to which the election is professional, impartial, accurate and transparent in all stages of its Administration. David Granger’s mouthpiece, Mr Joseph Harmon, kept rambling that David Granger has no intention of conceding. His direct and own words were “Concede to what? Concede to whom? What is he to concede to? It appears to me and I
would venture to say any right-thinking person, to be a most ridiculous and nonsensical proposition… for the persons who are calling for Granger to concede, that is not going to happen”. The question now arises about what will happen on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, when the Caribbean Court of Justice hears the case of Guyana’s Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Dr Irfaan Ali, the PPP/C Presidential Candidate, who
filed a Notice of Motion before the CCJ for several reliefs, including an interpretation of the words “more votes are cast” in Article 177(2) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana. It is clear to all what Harmon had intended to say, that the APNU/ AFC cares about the billions of dollars in oil money and cares less about the will of the Guyanese people.
Dear Editor, It was with utter dismay and, indeed, complete disgust, that I saw via the media recently, a photograph of an ‘involuntary remigrant’ from the United States to Guyana standing in front of the Caricom Secretariat holding a placard over her head bearing the words “Foreigners stay out of Guyana’s business”. It is ironic that this person, who was happy to live in North America until she ran afoul with the law, and was deported and who continues to have her progeny live in the United States would wish to display such incivility to our Caricom sisters and brothers and other bilateral partners around the world. Indeed, it is also disheartening that someone who is employed with the State media, the circumstances of how someone of such ignominy could have secured such a conspicuous media role with
a national media entity being another concerning matter, could be allowed to publicly display such crudity, lack of enlightenment and incomprehension. Primary school pupils are being taught about globalisation and interdependency of countries around the world. How could this woman really believe that Guyana, listed as South America’s third poorest country, could survive on its own? Does she understand what will happen if there are no remittances from abroad, if there is no international support for Guyana as it seeks to obtain from the International Court of Justice a final and binding judgement in the border dispute with Venezuela? Does she understand the markets and the investment opportunities that would be lost? Can she envision what would happen to Guyanese should we be locked out from accessing finance from international funding agencies
such as the World Bank, IMF, CDB and IADB and other international banks? Is it her view that we will be able to produce our own machinery and parts, trucks, cars, clothing and all other forms of imported goods we currently use and consume as citizens? What will happen to our fledgeling tourism industry? And the list goes on. Guyana’s democratic alliances are the centrepiece of our country’s foreign policy and such reckless displays by a few misguided persons will irreversibly damage Guyana’s future prosperity in addition to being just downright unfair to the rest of the respectable, right-thinking and conscientious citizens of Guyana. I ask that such foolish thinking and behaviour be immediately stopped and that we let good sense prevail.
Sincerely, David Adams
Good sense must prevail
Sincerely, Ravindra Thakur
Prime Minister Mia Mottley's Guyana cannot countenance statement is of utmost significance a return to dictatorship
Dear Editor, As we await a ruling from the CCJ, there is little dispute in the minds of Guyanese that the National Recount delivered valid votes which satisfied the criteria established by GECOM for the process of counting votes. However, there seems to be a clear intent by stiffnecked individuals within the coalition who do not understand that dictatorships don’t work in the best interests of citizens, that Guyana will not concede to another dictatorship, which will only bring destruction and mayhem to our way of life, and jeopardise the future of our children. These clearly deficient members only emphasise why they cannot remain in Government, and need to be made to understand that they have no place, and will not be tolerated in office after losing the March 2020 elections. The Guyana Police Force and the Army should know that the coalition is intent on pushing Guyana back into dictatorship. They are
urged to provide the necessary support to the Guyana Elections Commission in defence of our democracy. All Civil Society organisations are also urged to condemn David Granger, the coalition and what is transpiring at the Guyana Elections Commission. Justice Claudette Singh must know that she has Guyana's support in doing what needs to be done sooner than later to ensure that Guyana does not slip into dictatorship again. The result of the recount is the only set of valid votes which reflects the will of the people at the March 2020 elections. As a leader, decisions sometimes have to be made in which all criteria for making them cannot be met. The current impasse which confronts the GECOM Chair is such, and she needs to move without delay to ensure that the results of the recount are officially declared as soon as possible, in my opinion, even prior to any judgment by the CCJ. There seems little doubt now that the Chief Elections
Officer will not deviate from his chosen path, so for the final results to be produced, he will at the very least have to be suspended to have someone perform this function. I am, however, of the opinion that with the first draft of the report available to her, the GECOM Chair has enough information from which to make an official declaration if she so chooses. After officially advising Commissioners of the requirement at a meeting to make this declaration, she can proceed to declare the results even in the absence of any of these Commissioners, since it is now obvious that even this measure will be used to stop the official declaration of the results by GECOM. As of 15 or 17 days after the elections, I think it is, Guyana has been without a legitimate President, and Government. It is imperative that GECOM act to officially declare the results of the recount. With regards, Craig Sylvester
Dear Editor, When Prime Minister Mia Mottley made the statement that Caricom would not allow democracy to be stolen from the people of Guyana (paraphrase) she was making a statement of fact. She, being the Chairperson of the Community, is duty-bound to ensure that a fellow sister State keeps in line with the democratic norms and processes that the community holds so dear. It is a sacred dogma that she, as well as all of Caricom, must uphold. In this regard, she has every right to speak up on an errant sister State. Now, as true to form, the APNU came out swinging, calling Ms Mottley every vile name known to man, real and imaginary. It was a really low-down gutter type attack. Now what is interesting to note is that some of these foul-mouthed disgraces have relatives and families residing in Mottley's country, Barbados, some of which are illegal aliens, barely existing on the fringes of society. But such is the low, degrading and crass stupidity of that party and its followers. These PNC supporters fail to
realise that with one stroke of her pen she could make hundreds of illegal Guyanese residents in her country homeless and that's not a joke. The last survey I have seen shows more than 30,000 Guyanese (legal and illegal) residents in Barbados. That is quite a large number of persons living outside of their home territory. Against this backdrop, I turn our attention to the most important aspect of our discussion, that is, the revival of democracy in Guyana. We are all too familiar with the 1970s way into the 90s when thousands of Guyanese fled their country because of the brutal political and economic persecution - yours truly being one of them - our flight mainly due to the repressive policies of the PNC Government. Many of the selfsame supporters would like to wish away this fact, however, the realities of that period still stand out like a beacon, ever reminding us as to the shameful way it was. If they are honest with themselves, they would hang their heads in shame never to countenance, far less to permit, the occurrence of such
an atrocity of a dictatorial regime here again. So, Miss Mottley was in a modest and veiled way saying that she would like for the preservation of democracy or simply put, that the will of the Guyanese people be respected. She is attributing that possibility in the swearing-in of the duly elected Government, one that is well equipped with the necessary skills to govern and return Guyana to a place of stability. In other words, she was subtly saying that she would not like Guyanese to return to the days of being refugees, strangers and foreigners in another person's country. Guyana should not see poverty years, nothing of that bitter and distressing past, instead, we should be basking in the modern day of development, under a Government of the people's choice. Finally, Guyanese in and out of Guyana would like a peaceable life in their homeland, this can only be achieved with the transition into the new PPP/C Government. Respectfully, Neil Adams
