Guyanese must condemn surreptitious intent

Dear Editor,
In a recent press conference, opposition leader Aubrey Norton attempted to sugar-coat the vicious, inciteful, and highly reprehensible attempts of his PNC compatriot, Hamilton Green. The recurrence is but another example of the callous, disgraceful attacks used at PNC and APNU-promoted public events to incite their support base in targeting the erosion of democratic norms and seeking to undermine the duly elected PPP Government.
Not so long ago, Norton provided a similar response in a futile attempt at covering up the ugly, distasteful, and arguably seditious statements made at a Buxton public meeting by longtime political activist and Executive of the Working People’s Alliance, Tacuma Ogunseye. After immense public pressure, Norton was eventually quoted as saying, ‘wrong choice of language’ may have been used, although he agreed with the concerns. The continued unapologetic displays by leading PNC strongmen and their cohorts target the propagation of an ethnic division-led party-political strategy that remains anti-democratic.
The situation mirrors an externalization of the PNC’s known character traits actively used in the decades of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, with damning consequences the propagationists often refer to as collateral damage. In essence, however, history records the ‘blood on the hands ‘ of the orchestrators as a consequence of their murderous roles in the killings of Bholanauth Parmanand and Jagan Ramessar. These two young men were ruthlessly and brutally gunned down as they were among their villagers who were struggling for free and fair elections in Guyana. On that fatal day, July 16, 1973, Guyanese were entirely made aware of the PNC’s radicalization and wicked approach to National Elections, specifically, their heinous intentions to rig the elections.
Investigations by the Justice Dhanessar Jhappan Commission of Inquiry revealed the high likelihood of a PPP victory if the elections were free and fair. The Commission cited the massive public meetings held by the People’s Progressive Party and the overwhelming public display of support for Dr. Cheddi Jagan as evidence of this. The PNC, to ensure their victory by any means necessary, deployed chosen components of the security forces, both army and police, to all parts of the country as enforcers. Many more examples of the associated beatings remain in the rhetoric of the older supporters who continue their persistent attempts at imbuing racial divide.
The pitiful consent in the voluminous silence of responsibility by leading PNC partners to the senile recommendations of PNC’s once strongman, Hamilton Green, is a matter of the strongest consternation. These were presented to top officials of the PNC and APNU/AFC to continue rigging Elections in Guyana, and this unacceptable position uncovers the still malignant form of political cancer in our midst.
It was not unsurprising that APNU Commissioner Vincent Alexander, who was at GECOM during the highly condemnable actions of the dismissed and charged GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, remains conveniently without a voice, although solidly present at the function. Since the PNC continues to feed this embedded decay, Guyanese must ensure they recognize and do not allow any form of election rigging to ever again creep in to impact the democratic choices of voters in this country.
In the United States of America, the struggle and Court cases in defense of free and fair Elections serve as lessons that Global democratic states must view as definitive guidelines for accepting Polls or further strengthening in all countries. Hamilton Green ignores the preceding in his clear message to the audience at the event celebrating the Nation’s premier rigger, Forbes Burnham, that they must continue election rigging to unseat the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government. This unsavory call is disgraceful, and the Guyanese People must condemn him forcefully! His threatening words and calls for the perpetuation of Rigged Elections by the PNC in Guyana are dangerous, insensitive, and stupid in the twenty-first century.
Notably, expansive online technology is now available to dent the unseen and hidden thievery. Greater transparency via these media is central to eroding the PNC’s previous advantage through rigging. The revelations of the struggle for free and fair Elections in Guyana backfired on the PNC’s devious efforts, which has left us a legacy of a united people.

One cannot deny that the tremendous efforts by the PNC through the APNU/AFC to steal the Government in 2020 were prevented by a united people, strong and effective media support, and the unyielding position of the Foreign Embassies and international support. Guyanese of all walks of life must be forever thankful for the unity and togetherness of the resistance and struggle against the “Riggers.”
We must call on all the media houses and the social media to openly condemn this wicked call for rigged elections. We must have a loud condemnation of this threat and call for the continuation of “Rigged” Elections in this country. Green’s clandestine clarion call is not shallow political rhetoric as Norton would like us to believe. Instead, the call for “rigged” Elections is of the PNC’s surreptitious design aimed at striking the nerve of our Democracy. Worst of all, these words of Hamilton Greene, a PNC former General Secretary and Former Prime Minister of this country, are lethal and destructive.
Readers must ask where the responses of the other non-PNC opposition members are present at the gathering. The Guyana Elections Commission member Vincent Alexander must open his mouth and give an opinion on Green’s call for “rigged “elections. All the court cases must come up for hearing now. GECOM must assert themselves and answer Green call for rigged elections.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar