Mr Norton, GECOM’s voting rules should prevail

Dear Editor,
I refer to a narrative, and specific parts therein, by PNC Leader Norton at a public meeting at Calcutta, Mahaicony, ECD, carried by a section of the media titled, “PNC polling Agents will block foreigners from voting”. Not sure if this statement is incendiary, divisive, calculated, a bluff, or a synthesis thereof.

INCENDIARY
If Mr Norton’s statement is to be considered incendiary, the voting public understands that GECOM ELECTION LAWS, currently immutable, with subsets that specifically address “foreign/foreigners voting.”
The polling stations are staffed with polling agents representing ALL political parties, and are traditionally mentored and equipped with the necessary legal tools to avoid ambiguity in the voting process.
For example, if a voter does not comprehend our native English language, in FORM 20, a SWORN Interpreter shall be the communicator between the Presiding Officer and the Elector, to ensure a fluid voting experience for the Elector. This is an enforceable action, and the Guyana Judicial System can be leveraged for redress.

DIVISIVE
If Mr Norton’s exhortation is perceived as divisive, the OLE (Official List of Electors) undergoes enhanced due diligence to ensure that it can stand up to scrutiny. ALL GECOM staffers are paid with our tax dollars, including the three Opposition Commissioners. The Commissioners are all privy to the OLE, and can granularly pore over the OLE, ad nauseam for inconsistencies, omissions etc. and reconciliation BEFORE publication.
CALCULATED
If Mr Norton’s declaration is calculated to sow discord and apprehension among the voting public, Mr Norton should be aware that, sorrowfully, credibility took an unrecoverable bludgeoning during the 2020 Election fiasco. The voting public is sensitised, aware, and now numb to this perennial “modus operandi’ threatened mayhem.

BLUFF
If Mr Norton is trying to bamboozle the voting population to not turn out and vote, the cast votes will ultimately reveal a hoax or severity. The voters can call his bluff.

SYNTHESIS THEREOF
If Mr Norton is expecting a combination of the above as stated, the GECOM Commissioners are all privy to voting information. The Commissioners’ valued input can be discussed civilly within the confines of GECOM before dissemination to the public. As currently structured, inherent in GECOM’s bylaws are excerpts that serve to streamline and mitigate any voting inconsistencies.
An orderly, civil, and mature approach on voting day is an expectation, not a default, because……!

Sincerely,
Jonathan Subrian Esq.