GECOM must act now to emancipate all Guyana

Dear Editor,
I take this opportunity to embrace and extend Emancipation greetings to all Guyana while saluting particularly, our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters!
In many Caribbean countries and others around the world, we acknowledge the occasion on the first day of August each year, sometimes in a unique and celebratory manner. In the process, we give solemn recognition and due reverence to the significant emancipation of our Afro-Guyanese ancestry from over 200 years of slavery. History is replete with the sufferings of that period which our nation certainly will never forget. This is given its later link with, and the subsequent evolution of an also subterfuge indenture-ship of Guyanese East Indians, that lessened the demand for slave labour while helping to create the distinctive Guyanese foundation.
For Guyana, however, this anniversary evokes a deep sense of aforethought and sombre internalisation, especially for our political leadership and our collective citizenry. The necessity at this critical juncture emerges from the obligation to have in place, a legitimately elected Government following the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion and the yet to be completed polls of March 2, 2020. Along the way, significant damage to the country’s internal and international image has been perpetuated, particularly through desperate power gouging measures and abuse of the court procedures so much that calls for supportive international interventions by the opposition had to be relied on.
It is indeed unfortunate that our people are now experiencing perhaps the most flagrant and vitriolic internal efforts in decades by the Granger-led APNU/AFC forces, aimed at hijacking the democratic process and the demonstrated will of the Guyanese towards their choice of a Government. It has resulted in the most damaging exposure of troubling ethnic-based wounds, constantly fuelled by irresponsible and false propagandistic rhetoric during the silly elections season. Emphasis on nation healing is required given the recognition that the success of such measures threatens to expand newer areas of suppression bondage that will now significantly affect all citizens.
Now that three Appeal Court Judges have unanimously thrown out the last of the exhaustive slew of legal cases to stop elections declarations, the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission must now act swiftly. Frankly, the nation’s patience has worn thin and the people are quite fed up with a lack of effective effort to address the almost unrestrained increases of COVID-19 health pandemic cases across Guyana. The international community has refused to support the blatantly cheating, daylight thieving of the election by the Granger cabal, realising circumstance of grave national concern. Justice Claudette Singh and her Commissioners must act now and put an end to the five months old political election impasse, and in ensuring there are no further delays in correcting the illegitimacy in Guyana.
Importantly, there is no existing judicial review preventing or restraining GECOM Chairwoman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh from swiftly bringing these elections to a closure. Chief Justice Roxane George’s High Court rulings established that only the results of the recount must be used to make the official declaration of March 2, 2020 elections, and this was unanimously supported by the Court of Appeal Judges.
In context, there can be no more pretence of ignorance or uncertainty by the CEO, Keith Lowenfield, since Appellate Court gave their unflinching support to the Chief Justice’s ruling that he does not have an independent constitutional mandate under Article 177 of the Constitution; actually, it is the Chairperson and the Commission that have the Constitutional mandate. Accordingly, Mr Lowenfield is a functionary of GECOM according to Article 161(A) of the Constitution, as well as Sections 2 and 7 of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA).
This abuse of the courts by the PNC/AFC must stop now given that everyone nationally and internationally is aware of the final recount results. Enough is enough! It is time for caretaker President David Granger to withdraw his bulldogs, reach out now and congratulate Dr Irfaan Ali so that there is a smooth transformation of ‘Power’ from the APNU/AFC to the PPP/C. Our citizens at home and Guyana’s partners in the international community have justifiably rejected the unacceptable radicalism.
Mr Granger, the just-concluded Court of Appeal case highlights the comical nature of the desperate impositions and the laughing stock paintbrush used to label our people internationally. In particular, the world is laughing at boiler brusher Basil Willy and his stupid Cross-Appeal. You are aware and it is clear now that there would be no effective traction even from Guyana’s Military and Police given the attenuation of relationships since 2015, when there was absolute rejection at the organisation’s annual Christmas function.
Our Guyanese are justifiably getting very impatient, and most are demanding that GECOM make the declaration. The COVID-19 epidemic is having a serious effect on this nation and all the deals and massive corruption are now in the public domain. The more than two billion UN hospital finishing deal is the ending, while the D’Urban slush funds expose new corrupt activities, but none of these can equate to the bondage sufferings of the nation if this charade is continued. We, therefore, call on the GECOM Chairwoman to remove these knees from the necks of our citizens.
Now that the twenty-four hours Appeal Court stay (for unconfirmed purposes) are exceeded without any substantial appeal, the nation looks to you Mr Granger to behave like a former President and concede to Dr Irfaan Ali in the facilitation of a transition of Government.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar