President David Granger’s decision to unilaterally appoint an 84-year-old retired Judge as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has not only thrown this country deeper into a political crisis but has laid the foundation for higher levels of mistrust, distrust and divisiveness in our society.
By refusing to select any of the nominees put forward by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and abandoning the negotiation process altogether, the President has clearly demonstrated his lack of confidence in the entire mechanism as outlined in the Constitution to find a solid and mutually acceptable candidate for the top post. His actions have also laid bare his political psyche and philosophy while demonstrating how much respect he really has for negotiating in good faith.
The truth is President Granger never intended on accepting any nominee put forward by Mr Jagdeo regardless of whether they were super qualified as adumbrated by the Constitution or ‘fit and proper’. He always intended on selecting a candidate that will no doubt do his bidding at the level of the Commission. No one wanted to say it but I am saying it now. It is my firm belief that President Granger, and the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition intend to influence the inner workings of GECOM in order to manipulate the outcome of future elections. There can be no other explanation for the haste in making the unilateral appointment in the dark of night. He knew exactly who he wanted to be the next GECOM Chair but was only stalling for the right time and right excuse to unilaterally impose his choice on the populace.
President Granger knows fully well that the PPP would cry foul if he made a unilateral appointment. He knows too that such a move would see the resurfacing of fears about rigged elections and electoral fraud which would legitimise the propaganda being spread by the PPP. Mr Granger knows that making the appointment independently would also see his nominee subjected to all sorts of criticisms from the public as it would be alleged that he is being handpicked for the post because he is loyal to the President and politically close to the coalition. So why did he do it anyway even though the move does not make political sense? He did it because time was of the essence and he is unsure about the future of his coalition and its ability to win any upcoming elections freely and fairly. He did it because he is cognisant of the fact that his coalition’s appeal and reputation is hemorrhaging away with every new scandal and misstep made in office. He acted out of desperation and a desire to hold on to power. The President played the last trick in the PNC book after panicking. It was a tactical move in order to preserve the interests of the PNC and its allies.
President Granger’s game plan is now in motion. Guyanese should prepare for his minions and public relations gurus to somehow blame the PPP and Jagdeo for his actions. He will refuse to quash the appointment and members of his cabinet will arrogantly stand by him. There will be attempts to downplay this situation and calls for normalcy as well as a return to the status quo. This must not be allowed to happen. Guyanese must strongly condemn the President’s action because it undermines the political trust and freedoms that many have fought and died for over the last five decades. Every thinking citizen must demand a reversal of Justice Patterson’s appointment and a return to the negotiation and consultative processes which involve Mr Jagdeo.
The PPP must maintain its declaration of non cooperation with the Government. If necessary, the party must refuse to attend any engagement with the President. They must lobby wide and far while educating all Guyanese on the politics behind what Mr Granger did and its context given the party’s history of being skillfully cheated out of power. There must be no participation on any committee set up to look at constitutional reform by the PPP. Mr Jagdeo must take the matter to Court if he can. A campaign to expose all the malpractices that are taking place at GECOM must be launched. Strange things have been happening at GECOM since Mr Lowenfield’s tenure begun. Also, citizens must bring pressure to bare on the President in order to secure the integrity of future ballot boxes.
That an erudite lawyer like Mr Patterson would allow himself to be chosen for a job in those circumstances is telling to say the least. He should have declined the offer but now its too late. If he, however, suffers a change of heart he is free to resign. He must understand that GECOM needs strong leadership and someone who commands the trust and admiration of both the President and Opposition Leader is necessary. He cannot serve without having Mr Jagdeo’s confidence.
The PNC has never accepted publicly that it rigged elections in the 70s and 80s. Their leader, Mr Granger does not like talking about that particular topic because it causes him discomfort but many Guyanese know it happened because their votes were stolen. 2017 must be the year to strengthen our country’s democratic resolve by safeguarding the integrity of our elections machinery from fraud and manipulation. As a nation, we must resist every attempt made by politicians to manipulate the outcome of our polls via the unilateral appointment of personnel who could make major decisions that can decide who governs in the long term.
