…to Granger
Now that we know for sure nothing’s gonna happen with this recount for a while, your Eyewitness continues to reflect on the various methods being employed to get Granger to quit with the oh-so-obvious rigging of the Reg 4 vote count. In these matters, there’s usually the “carrot and stick” approach – either singly or in tandem.
While, for obvious reasons, the proponents haven’t labelled it as such, the “power-sharing” proposals have to be seen as a “carrot” to Granger and the PNC. What else could you possibly call an offer to let him become part of a government after he’s lost the election?? Last time your Eyewitness checked, the PNC and Granger hadn’t even HINTED during the campaign that they’d bring aboard the PPP if they won, had they?? And he dares any of those “power-sharing” mavens to say with a straight face they wouldn’t have accepted the PNC as a legitimate government if they’d governed alone!
Even with the proposals now floated, has Granger or anyone in the PNC changed their tune to say they’ll even CONSIDER “power-sharing” with the PPP? All your Eyewitness hears is a doubling down on their pre-election vow to “not allow” the PPP back in!! So, we can safely say the carrot hasn’t worked.
Now, how about the stick?? In these matters, there are two ends to the stick – external and internal – and they go hand in hand. The internal, usually protests, have been shut down by COVID-19. Externally, there’s been a whole lotta threats of ‘consequences” from some big ones – including the US. But from the PNCites’ reaction, they seem to consider the US like the big bad wolf: merely huffin’ and puffin’ while they’re safely ensconced in their strong brick house. They obviously expect that “Big Bad” wolf will soon get tired and work out a modus vivendi with them.
But in addition to the carrot and stick approaches, we’ve seen, of recent, an appeal to Granger’s “morality”. Not the consequentialist view of morality that would emphasise telling him his cheating ways would have dire“consequences” – for himself and the country. That’s already implicit in the “stick” approach. Nor is it the deontological view of morality that would call upon Granger to “do his duty”. That clearly wouldn’t work, since Granger’s made it clear that his only duty is to complete “Burnham’s legacy”!!
So, we’re left with “virtue ethics”, which is to appeal to Granger’s supposed “moral sensibilities”. And there’s been a slew of these recently. Sadly, the worthies taking this route are setting themselves up for a fall.
As your Eyewitness has been saying, Granger has NO moral sensibilities. The man’s a cynical, Burnhamite Machiavellian!!
…to “higher powers”
Your Eyewitness just saw this self-serving notice from GECOM: “Though it may appear that GECOM is silent and not taking all necessary steps to arrive at a conclusive decision; the fact that injunctions were granted restraining GECOM officials from proceeding with the national recount supervised by Caricom and setting aside or varying the declaration of the Returning Officers of the ten (10) electoral districts and from substituting or replacing the said declaration of the Returning Officers until the hearing and determination of the judicial review; the Commission cannot pronounce on this matter.”
Imagine that!! After there was no count of the Reg 4 SOPs, and CEO Lowenfield pledged to have the count resume – with a timeline – and this was violated, there was no injunction, was there? Ditto when Mingo was Mingoing the Reg 4 SOPs! And the GECOM Chair remained sequestered in a room while all of this was going on – without a squeak!!
Folks could be forgiven for concluding that GECOM has conspired to deliver, not a count, but a fait accompli!!
…to health authorities
Will the health professionals please stand up in this greatest health challenge to have confronted Guyana to date?
If Italy, Spain and the US are being overwhelmed, why is the caretaker Govt insisting “we’re prepared”??
