Telling it… to the EU Electoral Mission

Pressie came out swinging at the OFFICIAL report on our September 1st elections by the EU Electoral Observer Mission (EUEOM). In respect to his high standards of professionalism (blush…blush!!), which places fair disclosure right up there on his totem pole of values, your humble Eyewitness must reveal that he’d already given his take on the said (preliminary) report back in September, and he hereby reproduces it in full. This is to show he ain’t no brownnoser because he made the same points Pressie made way before!!
First, we gotta make a distinction between the EU reps at Pressie’s swearing-in from the EU Electoral Observer Mission (EUEOM) that was sent out from the Brussels bureaucratic eggheads and not their Diplomatic Corps. They claimed that the “undue advantage of incumbency distorted the level playing field during the election campaign”. It wasn’t surprising Norton latched on to this “uneven playing field” claim to claim that our election wasn’t “free and fair”!! The question your Eyewitness has for the EUEOM is – could they point to a single EU Government that’ll call their opening of completed projects “undue incumbency advantage”?? What are Governments supposed to do?? Put projects under a tarpaulin until elections are over??
But ironically, that’s exactly what VP Jagdeo did when he contradicted Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who’d promised the PPP’s largest infrastructural project – the new Demerara Harbour Bridge – wouldn’t need to be tested after completion!! Which would’ve allowed folks to cross on election day!! Jagdeo nixed that!! No incumbency advantage!! But the thing about Governments using “incumbency advantage” by opening up projects is they gotta COMPLETE the projects. Which ain’t so easy. Basil Williams had promised a Guyana Law School for the PNC Government by 2020!! It’s the PPP that got approval in 2025, and if they complete it before 2030, shouldn’t they?!”
And all your Eyewitness can say at this point is – if in democracies parties are supposed to get elected ’cause folks believe their manifesto promises on what they’ll do – and not on (say) their good looks – why is it improper to ask to be REELECTED by showing you kept your promises??!! The analogy which Pressie made about not mentioning Sanction Man buying votes shows how hypocritical the EUEOM is!!
And on that point, how about this Facebook post from Team Mohamed – ON THE DAY BEFORE ELECTIONS – announcing his trademark gift of a house?? Team Mohamed’s (31 August): 65-year-old Weldaad, mother of seven, gets new home from A Mohamed. “It is a magnificent feeling,” were the words of 65-year-old Marlyn Peters of Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, who received the keys to her brand-new home from businessman Azruddin Mohamed.
EUEOM had an agenda!!

…on incumbency’s downside
While – as we acknowledged – “incumbency advantage” exists in all democracies, in pointing this out the EUEOM should’ve mentioned that there’s also a downside to incumbency – especially when it’s prolonged. This effect is so prevalent, it has a name – INCUMBENCY FATIGUE!! Folks might’ve voted for a party, but when their rule becomes prolonged – like with the PPP from 1992 to 2015 – the accumulation of inevitable missteps or heavy-handedness or whatever makes even friendly folks wanna give some other parties a chance. Depending on THEIR promises!! And the incumbency advantages wither in the sun, and the incumbent party is voted out.
So the EU should’ve questioned why the 2015-2020 incumbent party – the PNC – wasn’t returned in 2020?? And it was ’cause they had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SHOW – after all the promises they’d made fell into the mud!! The point is, incumbency can be a two-edged sword, and how it cuts depends on whether the incumbent got anything to show at the next election cycle.
It’s politics!!

…on pragmatism
Over in TT, PM Kamla bucked the Caricom tide on its received “progressive” wisdom by vociferously siding with the Yanks and pragmatically accepting their tariff reductions!! After Mad Maduro’s ouster – by hook or crook! – they’ll get the Dragon Gas field!!