Dear Editor,
The election is over. The opposition must end its rancour and accept defeat and find a way to preach a message of healing and reconciliation as the PPP did when it was removed from office in May 2015. It is time for the nation to come together for institutional reconstruction. The opposition has an important role, that reconstruction, and it must not play the role of a sore loser. The country has pronounced on the outcome – it was free and fair. So, it is time to end the narrative on victory by fraud.
Opposition coalition acrimony or cries of fraud would not help any party or the nation with healing. There is hardly any irrefutable evidence of fraud. Contrary to what others may feel, the election was free and fair according to credible observers and the individuals who served as technical experts to the Commission. I was also there days before the campaign and on Election Day and during the count. I did not observe voter fraud. I was told about fraud in coalition strongholds, but I did not observe any. I conducted opinion polls that showed the PPP in the lead and voters swinging away from the coalition.
The newly sworn-in Government is recognised globally. That would not change until another election or if a court says otherwise. Thus, the Government should be allowed to carry out the important task at hand amidst cooperation from the opposition. Instead of crying foul and fraud, the opposition should seek to rebuild and hold the Government accountable as the PPP did when it was the opposition.
The new Government faces monumental challenges as it confronts possible tensions with the opposition and its supporters and in the battle for peace and justice. The Government has inherited a very fragile state – not only politically but economically as well with the country bankrupt. It needs all the assistance it can get. Continued coalition opposition to the outcome would only prolong the acrimony and disunity that characterise the country when coalition supporters are crying to move on. They have accepted that the PPP won fairly and looks forward for the Ali led Administration to rebuild the country devastated by poor governance. Some of them are saluting the return of Jagdeo in whom they express confidence to grow the economy and create jobs.
I recall in May 2015, when a victory was declared for the coalition amidst cries of fraud, the opposition PPP caved in and did not declare the Government as “fraudulent” even though there were questions about fake Statements of Poll. Several eminent Indians (not the least being Swami Aksharnanda, Roshan Khan, Ravi Dev, Rhyaan Shah, Baytoram Ramharack, and yours truly, Vishnu Bisram, among others) urged the PPP to concede defeat and let the court resolve the problem of a fraudulent count. The PPP acted as advised. I also appealed to the PPP leadership to congratulate the coalition on its achievement. I await the conscience of African intellectuals calling on the coalition to accept defeat and congratulate the PPP on a well-earned victory. African voices must reciprocate; they cannot be silent now. They were mostly quiet when there was a bold attempt to perpetrate fraud. I salute my African brothers and sisters like Ruel Johnson, Alan Fenty, Nigel Hinds, and those in The Citizenship Initiative, TNM, Change Guyana, ANUG, URP, who condemned and opposed electoral fraud. They are our heroes and heroines in the mould of Walter Rodney. Tacuma Ogunseye, David Hinds, Nigel Westmaas, Karen D’Souza, Bonita Harris, among others, disappointed the nation.
Neither domestic nor international observers nor any of the minor parties detected any fraud that would alter the result that the PPP won. Elements in the coalition, including the leadership of the AFC, should congratulate Dr Irfaan Ali on his ascension to the Presidency, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to the Vice Presidency, and Mark Phillips as Prime Minister. Such magnanimity would be transformational and would go a long way to strengthening democratic governance and contributing to national healing and reconciliation.
Yours truly
Dr Vishnu Bisram
