Dear Editor,
It is clearly evident that the APNU/AFC is using the judicial system along with the most imbecilic issues to remain in office, or declare the elections null and void.
The present scenario of more than half of the country’s ballots deemed fraudulent by GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Lowenfield obviously serves to propel the APNU to call for fresh elections. The salient question is: Does the CEO of GECOM have the wherewithal and authority to condemn over 260,000 votes?
And now he has produced yet another grotesque set of figures, setting aside over 115,000 votes as not valid. Fifty-five years after Independence, and 4 months after elections were held, the nation is besieged, and is still grappling with vote count, miscount, recount and discount of votes.
But this is Guyana, which has a huge problem to count 460,000 votes. Are we to believe that the powers that be would not have the same problem to count the proceeds from 8 billion barrels of oil?
The worst aspects of this election were the bogus declaration of the results by the CEO, and the decision rendered by the Justices of the Appellate Court. It must be remembered that in one of the worst decisions made by these Justices, the same court had ruled that 34 votes were needed in the 65-member National Assembly to pass the “no confidence motion” a year ago.
As for the declared results based on the Statement of Recount, the PPP has won by a 15,000-vote margin over the APNU coalition, with 233,000 votes for the PPP and 217,000 for APNU. The numerical majority indicates the winner in Guyana’s election; however, we are witnessing the emergence of the GECOM CEO declaring APNU+AFC the winner.
In whatever manner, the Guyanese nation expects fairness in this election, but their aspirations seem to be more altruistic than pragmatic; because fair, free and transparent elections exist in a democratic system, but not in Guyana, where there is a grab for power because of greed, selfishness, and by not putting the interests of the people and country first.
It is my belief that President Granger is enjoying this state of affairs, as it bolsters his ego and makes him a man of great importance. That is a truly narcissistic mindset, reminiscent of the man he idolises, Forbes Burnham. Or perhaps the pressures from his cabal at Congress Place have caused his psyche to deteriorate into a mentally strained and ineffective Head of State. Whatever decision he makes, if it is contrary to the recount results, the international community has already signalled to him and the hierarchy of APNU+AFC that it will not stand idly by and see the will of the electorate being thwarted.
However, it does not seem likely that this election debacle will end anytime soon.
Sincerely,
Leyland Chitlall
Roopnaraine
