Dear Editor,
A number of coalition members and supporters are speaking and commenting on concerns of the elections not being credible. Some have mentioned the excessive number of voters as a percentage of the population, while others point to many of the issues seen in past elections which are also related to the credibility of the list of voters.
Thus, paving the way for a rejection of the recount results. The current declarations in hand will most likely also be rejected by the Opposition, leaving the two major parties (PPP and PNC) once again at opposite ends of the spectrum, but this time after the recount process.
It then becomes important to answer the question as to “what could be the next phase of this unfolding saga?”. We have already learned that one leader’s acceptance doesn’t always lead to the entire party and its members following suit. For beginners, a court case should be expected, where the question of the use of an elections petition and the credibility of the elections is formally discussed.
The Caribbean Court of Justice being once again the final location where they will attempt to settle the dispute. The time during this phase of the saga will extend the duration of the absence of a Government, but the pandemic will introduce a new dynamic that can bring calls for the need for an emergency exemption. This will increase the level of tension surrounding the controversy and martial law being put in place will be another concern to arise.
Such delicate matters will have to be dealt with high levels of statesmanship from members of the political class on both sides in order to avoid violent outbursts within the populace. Furthermore, the avoidance of any slippage into the perception of dictatorial rule if martial law is imposed will be required.
The use of a nonpartisan agreement will be needed to ensure that our country is not perceived as neglecting democratic norms. An opportunity for a joint nonpartisan team to address the pandemic should be fertile ground to aid in this matter.
Calls for a revote, when it comes will provide great suspicion, and reduced trust in the election process will present further difficulties for all those involved.
If the entire dispute gets to the point where this becomes the preferred path, then the country will be faced once again with the time needed to clean the Official List of Electors (OLE) via another House-to-House process, which will have to be more thorough and robust than before to erase all doubts of credibility stemming from the OLE. Followed by a new election that has its own challenges during the pandemic.
These potential next phases of the election’s saga will be very time consuming and will increase the overall level of resentment and conflict in our country. Thus, it becomes crucial – the level of weight the Commission’s final decision on the elections has on the moral fortitude of all those involved in the acceptance of the results of the recount.
However, given the underlying motivation of riches from oil and the unfortunate sequence of events we have all seen unfold thus far, it is most likely that this elections saga is far from over. The true depth of “love for nation” should not be second to “lust for power and wealth”, but human history continues to prove otherwise in most cases. It is the undefeatable will of the Guyanese people that will eventually determine how this saga ends.
A public refusal to a revote and the influence of external powers including Caricom will be tested in the coming months. The right to due process will also be of utmost importance, as this right is not to be discarded in the face of expediency.
Patience of the passionate on both sides of the divide will be tested, and the need for “astuteness over anger” will become the testing factor that determines the level of leadership capabilities and statesmanship present within our politicians of today. How this saga is managed will also determine the path upon which our young nation becomes rooted for many generations to come.
Please choose wisely.
Best regards,
Jamil Changlee
