PPP’s fears of PNC planning to rig the 2020 elections are not far-fetched

Dear Editor,
The PNC invented rigging and stayed in power through rigging for 28 years when Guyana became pauperised and our people were scattered everywhere in search of a better life. Riggeritis is in the PNC’s DNA. You cannot get it out. As Granger said, they were “born to rule” which they think means stomp on the Constitution, bully your way through, stay in power, and don’t give up even if defeated.
The PNC has the means to rig. They control the Secretariat and staff at GECOM who seem to be actors in the PNC Playbook. They even seem to have some influence on the new GECOM Chair.
The Ethnic Relations Commission said GECOM discriminated against former Deputy Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, who was more qualified than the person selected for the vacancy. Patterson refused to provide details on diversity of employees at GECOM. No action has been taken on the fraud investigation at GECOM.
Additionally, the field staff across the country are all mostly of one ethnicity, controlling the regional and local offices, and Election Day apparatus and process. The polling places will be guarded largely by people of the same ethnicity as the polling staff. So things can happen.
In previous elections, at some polling stations, the PPP did not field any scrutineers. They must not make that mistake again and should plan well to have those stations covered. In the event that any of the new paper parties mushrooming up can find scrutineers, the Opposition parties should have a working agreement to make sure all polling places are covered by scrutineers and observers.
Usually, logistical problems crop up on Election Day, such as a party’s representative being prevented from observing the poll, and it requires a GECOM top official to resolve the problem. If that official does not answer the phone and is not available, the problem cannot be solved, and things can happen during that wait time. The PPP needs to have a plan if the GECOM top man decides to check himself into the hospital for heart problems on Election Day. PPP must ask for several Secretariat people to be available to deal with Election Day problems.
At this point, it seems as if the tail is wagging the dog. Why is the GECOM Chair so silent? Why is it that the Commissioners are the ones talking to the press and the people do not know if they are speaking for GECOM or they are giving their own opinions? Is Alexander the de-facto Chair as he runs his mouth all the time pronouncing on things? To date, I feel Justice Singh has let down the nation. We cannot afford to have another rigged election. And we know, when the PNC loses in 2020, they will not leave peacefully and decently. Granger, under great delusion, still goes around saying their defeated Government is still a constitutional Government. That must be part of his “born to rule” philosophy.

Sincerely,
Jerry Singh