Guyanese and the PPP/C welcome the Carter Center and all observers
Dear Editor,
Julius Caesar waxed Shakespeare’s lyrics that “Experience is the teacher of all things.” The grandmother of all elections in Guyana is expected to highlight on the 1st of September this year a free, fair and transparent electoral process. This ‘will of the people’ will reflect the choice of the majority of Guyanese to choose a president and government to govern this country for another five years.
Managed by a reorganised GECOM, the administration, system, staff, security and infrastructure have been filtered, cleansed and upgraded to exclude a number of nuances, vices, encumbrances and impediments which may constrain the smooth flow of operation and hamper the efficiency and effectiveness of GECOM’s legal and legitimate responsibilities.
At the last General and Regional Elections held on the 2nd of March 2020, after the PNC’s Herculean task to stall the holding of a statutory election, GECOM’s fragility was stretched to the limit, and the Chairman’s endurance was strained to a bursting point.
But, with the vigilance, help and perseverance of a supportive international community, backed with efforts of a spirited PPP/C party and a host of observers, an APNU/AFC vile plan to thwart the PPP/C from being declared the rightful winner was spiritedly avoided at the last moment when the US imposed sanctions on all those APNU/AFC affiliates who were undermining democracy in Guyana.
After a marginal but questionably one-seat victory in 2015, the APNU/AFC ruled the roost as if the only thing they had to fear was fear itself, and that element which did not stop them made them stronger. It may be because of a graded exposure to the PNC’s weaknesses, corruption and hindsight that the PPP/C carefully planned with vision, tactics and wisdom to focus on a political strategy to capitalise on the PNC’s repeated mistakes, which could not prolong their sustenance in power.
The greedy, short-sighted and devious PNC since 1964 was always too occupied in keeping the spoils for their friends, families and associates and only sharing pittance; too busy breaking the economy by “killing the goose that lays the golden egg” instead of building a future which will develop the nation as a growth engine; and, among other negativities, preaching, practising and promulgating dictatorship with their propaganda machinery programmed with hate, violence and racism.
Guyanese and Guyana were distraught, destroyed and devastated for thirty-three agonising years under the rule of the corrupted PNC administration. For 28 straight humiliating years lasting from 1964 to 1992, it was the PNC who deployed a rancorous system of rigorous, repetitive and repulsive election rigging to defeat the PPP at every election held and prevent them from winning, despite the majority of Guyanese voting for the PPP.
During those embarrassing 28 years of unpleasant decadence, Guyanese need to be reminded that it was the very People’s National Congress party which denied the prestigious Carter Centre to come to Guyana and observe any of the elections, add credibility to the process, justify the legitimacy of the result and report to the world their conclusive opinion, void of any discrimination.
But with everything to hide and nothing to show that the PNC won any of those elections fairly and squarely, the continued bullying of Burnham and Hoyte prevailed, with unquestionable security guaranteed from the biased armed forces which served the interests of the PNC and obeyed their command. A dangerous PNC could not risk having any observer witness their controlled mechanism, which protected the PNC from losing power and prevented the PPP from winning to administrate the country.
The PNC had to shut out the presence of a Carter Centre so that their ignoble and iniquitous degeneracy would remain covered and they could rule fraudulently. The high-handed and clenched-fist policed autonomy prevailed until 1992, when the Hoyte administration had to succumb to the pressure of past US President Jimmy Carter, who came to Guyana himself to observe the election. All the good things and tidings which went the PNC way came to an end when the PPP convincingly won that election. Dr Cheddi Jagan regained power, and the PPP was restored in office.
The PPP has always welcomed the Carter Centre with open arms as an observer, and this year is no different. Likewise, members from the ABCEU, CARICOM, OAS, other overseas agencies and local stakeholders have all been invited by the fearless PPP/C as observers to this year’s election. It is only the PNC who are indifferent, and they will fearfully suffer knowing that their arms, agencies and associates will be prevented from deploying any acumen or action which may activate any discrepancies to forge, fabricate or formulate any fictitious formula to favour a PNC win.
Maya Angelou asserted that “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Linden Forbes was not a devil in disguise but evil disguised in the fallacy of wits and charms to manipulate people and things like a puppet on a string. He fooled his followers with false dreams, fermented favours and fragmented promises. The Kabaka had a dream: to be a master and a king. But it ended in a nightmare as a patient craving a ravenous wish on a bed in the hospital!
Samson Burnham brainwashed his advocates, surrogates and associates to consummate his wicked malevolence and his heinous nefariousness. He indoctrinated his viciousness as a mantra which trapped members to live, breathe and feed in this PNC doctrine. Jessica Burnham stayed quiet for a while because Forbes was her brother.
But Burnham’s policies became a burden, and the PNC/AFC parties lost their sense of duty and direction. Like Jessie, other members evidently spoke up and out, revolted, couldn’t fetch this heavy weight, saw the saddened winding road had no return, and they “cut and ran”. They probably pondered on Oscar Wilde’s analogy, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” Some changed their clothes while others exchanged their uniforms.
Exposed Guyanese and the experienced PPP/C are thankful for the honourable Carter Centre and all invited observers to grace us with their presence again. Did the PNC/AFC and the remaining 20 prospective parties learn their Mathematics 101 lesson that “practice does not make perfect? Only perfect practice makes perfect?” Good luck to the 21 ambitious budding prospects as they attempt to fulfil a dream.