Carter Center must be allowed to observe elections recount

Dear Editor,
President Granger needs to come clean with all of Guyana, given his blockbuster emergence in 2015, and obvious transition to a rapidly degenerated reject over the past five years. The fact is that he has been unshielded, and not even the unscarred and exploratory minds of our youths will accept Granger’s pretence of non-interference in the activities of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as the PNC/APNU/AFC cabal desperately tries to hold on to power.
No doubt, the obvious questions speak to the reasons for Granger’s increased unpopularity and the extent of loss of control, if any, considering the period from the unilateral appointment of James Patterson to the recent denial of The Carter Center’s return to Guyana as a GECOM accredited observer of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.
In the case of the latter, it is clear that there is involvement directly from the hands of the President, which when associated with the cauldron of PNC/APNU/AFC and GECOM activities, emphasises his role as an approver and defender. It sends a clear message that while the cabal has largely run out of options, they are still trying to stay and thief from the ‘treasury’ as long as possible.
Editor, Mr Granger’s total unveiling in this context, has been delayed and hidden based on the extant party’s use of the Presidency to protect against the obvious query and ultimate exposure. It is factual that he held less than five meaningful press conferences during the period, while State and other protective media held the various publics in abeyance. During the official election campaign period, attempts to shield him under a cloak of integrity and decency were the hallmark message of his party.
Along the way, however, he largely stood silently as his henchmen and women were unleashed to stretch indecently, almost every aspect of the GECOM relationship with clandestine and sinister irrationality in attempting to influence the emerging processes at the Commission. His common mantra being “GECOM is a constitutional body and I would not interfere with the decisions at GECOM.”
All Guyanese and the world know better and we have since come to terms with adding a spoon of salt to every statement emanating from Mr Granger or his cabal members. Categorically, the use of the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to exclude the accredited Carter Center from completing the observer mission of these elections is outright lawless, augments a lack of transparency, does not reflect the will of the Guyanese people, and highlights a sinister hidden agenda.
The Carter Center’s overall assessment of Guyana’s electoral process cannot be completed until the votes cast on March 2 have been counted, tabulated, announced, and the subsequent dispute-resolution process is completed. Accurate and honest counting of votes is essential to ensuring that the elections reflect the will of the people. It is hopeful that the teams conducting the current recount and tabulation processes do so with full transparency so that it yields a result recognised as credible and reflecting the will of the people as expressed on March 2, 2020.
The Guyanese people must resist these deliberate efforts to derail the elections. Our people must demand and support the call for the return of The Carter Center and the IRI. This cabal clinging on to power is also desperate to find a way to hide all their sins including the massive thieving. No amount of cover-up should inform the considerations of pardoning these thieves. In the interim, there must be no letting up and the involved representatives must give even keener scrutiny to every aspect of the recount process.
We must not stand by the wayside and allow these PNC/APNU thieves to use the COVID-19 issue to discriminate and punish citizens. The signs are clear that these disgraceful PNC thugs are prepared to instruct the police to harass and prosecute innocent citizens or possibly militarise the State. Our people must, therefore, resist all forms of police and PNC harassment.
Our responsible persons in important senior public and other administrative positions must be objective rather than being vindictive to our citizens, given the uncaring tendency of the PNC cabal who are now clutching at straws. People in high office must be objective and when called upon to make a decision, they must be fair and open-minded. The Guyanese people must unite since we are fortunate to have the world supporting us.
We shall soon see the true outcome of Mr Granger’s recent statements or his considered review. Let us resist all forms of bullying; we must stand together as victory is inevitable.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar