Home Letters Quality LGE must serve to unite our people and influence a rejection...
Dear Editor,
Since its re-election to the Government in August 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has increasingly adopted approaches to neutralise racial volatility and promote inclusiveness on one side of our political paradigm. The Party continuously supports this commitment through an open, tangible development push in communities nationwide.
But on the other side of the paradigm, the main Opposition forces depend on the unpopular and malignant stigmatic overtones of the racial divide to remain relevant. Although stigmatist influence of the Opposition has been more impacting around election time, the PPP/C has always sustained the use of improving citizens’ wellbeing and inclusiveness over racial division.
The PPP/C’s preparedness in soliciting citizens heading into these LGEs is targeting citizens’ national conscience and development focus on supporting its recommended teams of candidates. The generality of such an approach strengthens a position from which the interest of all could be incrementally addressed or accelerated, and should reject or dent the Opposition’s hostilities and unproductive schematics.
When one considers the mentioned extant framework, a realistic measure of “Quality Elections” must be addressed within the context of the Guyana Elections Commission’s preparedness and delivery, together with contesting candidates’ quality, character and commitment. This year, with the quality of candidates chosen for the LGEs, there will be greater inclusiveness and stronger people’s participation at the grassroots level. Candidates as potential councillors, including prominent people in business and influential community leaders as competitors, have put their hands up, which augers well for strengthening our local democracy.
Therefore, we must ensure the streamlining of constructive and objective support to select a team to advance an appropriate agenda for service and development, thereby providing the avenue for our people to work and live together in peace and harmony.
The criterion and clear mindset of the People’s Progressive Party is to develop Guyana and unite our people. This focus is the central driver of President Irfaan Ali’s “One Guyana” motto as a realistic endeavour. With togetherness and quality leadership, this noble commitment to working together for a better Guyana will end petty corruption, and lead to a better life for our people.
It establishes a meaningful counter to the typical PNC clandestine agenda, as politics should never be used as an “any means necessary” game for creating hardships for our citizens. Therefore, the PNC’s favoured practices must be dispelled, including its tool of advancing convenient delays, election rigging, and promoting racial hostility.
Recognising the preceding, we must continue a united action in the current setting, as this is critical to achieving plural gains as “One Guyana”. Significantly, we must recall that most Guyanese were united in 1992 in the battle against “rigged” elections, and reunited again in 2020 to prevent the APNU/PNC/AFC from stealing the Government. So now is the best time for our people to unite and build a better Guyana, to live better with quality leadership and genuine respect for the Government’s development programme.
While the Government is making tremendous progress at the national level, the time is now for us to have greater collaboration and togetherness at the village level, in order to promote development. The root causes of petty corruption and slow movement at the NDCs will be removed with solid councillors willing to see growth in their communities. Mature councillors will put development in the communities first, and not personal interest.
Editor, the PNC/APNU Commissioners have been incessantly irrational in their attempts to derail the progress of GECOM. With their increasing attacks on Chairwoman Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, they continue the demonstration of lacking objectivity. The situation demands that GECOM be vigilant and more aggressive in its approach to the preparation for the holding of these LGEs.
The latest commotion stems from the majority decision at the Commission meeting to appoint a Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO) against their favourite recommendation. Alexander and his cabal are trying to make a case to favour the strategic placement of a former controversial Region 4 Registration Officer, whose previous record has signalled alarming considerations and solid public complaints. GECOM must never consider the employment of such highly questionable characters.
As Registration Officer, Ms Marshall was at the centre of many issues surrounding the broadsheet introduction in 2015, and refused a recount requested by the PPP/C counting agent. There was excuse after excuse! She was never available at the critical time of an inquiry, and her office was often closed. With all the ‘jiggery-pokery’ that took place, it would seem her role was part of the elaborate plan to ensure the recount requested by the PPPC would not be carried out. The Peoples’ lawyers would have thoroughly examined this matter if the PPPC’s petition to the Court had been called.
In 2016 and 2018, the condemned former CEO Keith Lowenfield proposed Ms. Marshall as Registration Officer for Region #4, which the PPPC vehemently opposed. This resulted in a move to shelter her from further public scrutiny through substitution. In 2020, the PNC/Lowenfield cabal again tried to put her as RO in Region #4, but she was not appointed, given the objections and protests. Consequently, Lowenfield catapulted the ‘rigger’ Mingo into the position, and eventually she was appointed Voter Registration Manager. Albeit the laden baggage of improprieties and suspicion of some people on the GECOM staff must be thoroughly examined.
With the date for LGE drawing closer, all hands must be on board for free and fair elections.
Sincerely,
Neil Kumar
