Please help us thwart this direct assault on our democratic right

Dear Editor,
There is no wishing away this one or just simply trying to gloss over it, I am talking about this last-minute decision by GECOM to change or arbitrarily reduce the number of Polling Stations for this upcoming elections. If this is not a direct assault on our democratic right, then what is? They have drastically reduced the number of polling places with a bias towards strongholds of the Opposition PPP/C, which represents the most spiteful, lowdown, undemocratic move by an election body never before seen in our country. And I hasten to say this foolishness has to stop now, because come election day there will be chaos and confusion galore and possibly mass disenfranchisement of many voters!
This is preposterous, to say the least, coming at this late hour that an Election Commission can so arbitrarily reduce polling areas, it clearly shows that the GECOM Chairperson is being controlled by Granger’s bullyism. I first call on the contesting political parties to voice their disapproval of this move as well as the international community to immediately seek a reversal of this direct assault on our electoral process.
To think of it, those Polling Stations served us well in all of these elections, the 2015 elections that the PNC-led coalition won was served by those very same Polling Stations, you are also talking about the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections, where these very same Polling Stations were used, so how come they are a problem now? The answer is they have suddenly become a glaring problem and a huge stumbling-block for the PNC because polling places, I say, more polling places means that the democratic process would run smoothly and for which we will see a sure end to an undemocratic Government. In this regard, the incumbent is very fearful making a last-ditch do or die effort to avoid the inevitable.
The point is, human beings are creatures of habit and persons will turn up at their usual places of poll to exercise their democratic right. Now, think about someone turning up at the place of poll only to find that you are not registered to vote there, what confusing situation that presents? Fancy the situation where you are an elderly person, having no internet and lacking the capability to check and see that your place of poll has changed then you can understand how chaotic and confusing that situation will be.
Reports are that some polling areas are under makeshift tents positioned in open fields, this also poses other significant problems, for example, the weather conditions changing and there is a sudden downpour that day, or if it pours all day, then are you telling me that would be the voters’ lot to endure the torture of standing in the pouring rain to cast their ballot? Think about the elderly and physically handicapped persons in such circumstances, is this the experience GECOM wants us to countenance in this crucial an election?
Finally, I will say all we ask is for that small window of opportunity to cast our votes, at our usual locations, unfettered, unhindered and in a calm and incident-free environment. We ask for no special favours, all we are asking is that on March 2 we are afforded that small luxury, if you can call it that, to conduct our affairs. In this regard, I call on the international community to step in to aid us to have a free, fair and impartial process and may the people’s rights be preserved.

Respectfully submitted,
Neil   AdamsA