LGE electoral process is already perceived as flawed

Dear Editor,
In March this year, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) made an incredibly bold and outlandish statement in a vain attempt to remove the fear and dishonesty which is inherent in the People’s National Congress (PNC)-run elections from the minds of the Guyanese people, especially the voting population. A Department of Public Information release had stated that GECOM has as one of its priorities the “tightening up on the slippage that would cause the elections process” to be perceived as flawed in the past.
This past is still fresh in the minds of the Guyanese populace and the fear still relevant since the fake Statements of Poll of the 2015 General Election are yet to be determined. Many Guyanese can vividly recall the blatant and barefaced rigging of the General Elections under the PNC from 1968 to 1985. These rigged elections were in 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985 and there was the massively rigged Referendum in 1978, all of which bear testimony to the innate ability of the PNC to hold fraudulent elections fully backed by GECOM.
In addition, the ascension of retired Justice Patterson to the chairmanship of GECOM is also done by a ‘rigged process’; likewise the employment discrimination of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GECOM which can be seen as a further step to set the stage for the rigging of elections in this country. Let us now look at the electoral process leading to the Local Government Elections (LGE) to be held on November 12.
There has been evidence surfacing in many People’s Progressive Party supported areas of fraudulent activities by the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and this is not about gerrymandering, it is the use of faked and forged signatures to support the nominations of their candidates. It was reported that areas affected were Crabwood Creek, Corriverton, Fifty One Good Hope, Whim, Bloomfield, Number 63, Berbice; and La Grange, La Jalousie and Canal Polder, West Bank Demerara. Some blatant cases occurred at Number 51/Good Hope and Whim Village – the birth place of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. At Whim Village 51 persons disputed that they signed the backers list and swore to affidavits attesting that fact. At Number 51/Good Hope, 18 persons claimed they never signed the AFC’s backers list, nine persons lived abroad, one woman is dead and one could not read and write but yet purportedly signed the list, affidavits were also signed to that effect. In Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) alone, 151 disputed persons’ names appeared on various backers’ lists. What is supposed to be GECOM’s role in the above scenario? Should GECOM allow these candidates who were fraudulently backed to contest the LGE in their constituencies?
Instead of GECOM decisively addressing the case of the fraudulent lists a farcical comedy played out. The CEO, Keith Lowenfield, had stated that once affidavits for each individual was produced, the fraudulent ‘errors’ will be corrected. However, the DECO, Roxanne Myers, had issued instructions to the Returning Officers that the persons should bring the affidavits in person, contrary to the original statement that the leader or deputy leader of the List can submit the sworn affidavits. It was claimed that the CEO never passed on this instruction in writing to the Returning Officers. Conveniently, at the 11th hour, the CEO went missing in action! Is this not a clear indication that GECOM is not acting in the best interest of the electorate but in the interest of the ruling party?
It was only last Monday that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo revealed there were already several instances of electoral fraud for the 2018 LGE and he cited that as many as 42 out of 80 Local Authority Areas were affected by these fraudulent backers’ lists.
It is imperative to note that the Carter Centre Election Report had recommended that Government must continue to strengthen the professionalism and independence of GECOM to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Unfortunately, from what has transpired and the fact that the coalition Government has remained deafeningly silent, is a clear indication that this recommendation has been aborted like so many others and will never see the light of day.
A final question: If GECOM has silently given approval to these fraudulent lists, what can we expect during the electoral process? The LGE electoral process is already ‘perceived as flawed’ Chairman!
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
RDC Councillor Region Six