President David Granger has been consistent in his utterances that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is independent and that he has always respected the Constitution. All would know that the latter is completely false, given his unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson as the GECOM Chairman and his efforts to nullify the constitutional process following the successful passage of the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion (NCM).
His adamancy that GECOM is independent and he would not interfere has proven to be one of convenience given that it suits his overall agenda. This was clear when GECOM in itself defied the Constitution and did not hold elections within the three-month mandatory period following the NCM. Instead, it embarked on a protracted process to avoid holding elections until a year after they were constitutionally due.
During that time, GECOM found ways and means to try and justify its extension of that three-month constitutional period. Its position was openly articulated and supported by Commissioners appointed by the Government headed by Mr Granger. That was despite the fact that the rest of the country, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice all agreed that the constitutional process must be respected.
From all that occurred, it’s difficult not to conclude that APNU/AFC appointed Commissioners to GECOM have unambiguously dictated the Commission’s work; more especially under Justice Patterson’s unconstitutional tenure. Their efforts were reportedly aided by some staff within the Secretariat and those who are loyal to Mr Granger’s government. There was no relenting under the current Chair thereby confirming the suspicion of not wanting to hold the elections.
Had it not been for local and international pressure, Mr Granger may not have budged to announce the March 2 elections date. The point is, given the manner in which events unfolded over the past year and a half, it’s extremely difficult to separate Mr Granger’s intention from that of the three APNU/AFC-appointed Commissioners to GECOM. In other words, his claim of the Commission’s independence in the context in which he speaks is disingenuous.
A cursory examination of the verification and tabulation process for votes cast in Region Four will reveal an orchestrated effort to declare results that are not in keeping with the Statements of Poll (SoPs). With two weeks elapsed and no credible results announced, that belief is fortified with every passing moment. It is common knowledge that APNU/AFC and Mr Granger are aware of what the actual results are given their access to the SoPs.
A worthwhile reminder is that some 421 SoPs for Region Four were verified without discrepancies – GECOM’s and political parties’ matched. That said, and with an irrefutable penchant through actions demonstrated publicly for wanting to stay in Government at the expense of democracy and consequences for Guyana and Guyanese, what subsequently played out during the verification and tabulation process for Region Four cannot be just mere coincidences.
With assigned staff claiming to be tired and the Returning Officer (RO) wheeled out on a stretcher, a deliberate delay and an avoidance of similar methodology used for the 421 SoPs cannot be disputed. The deliberate attempt to impose an unverified spreadsheet in place of the remaining SoPs for Region Four and then the eventual halting of the process and declaration made speak to that seemingly orchestrated and collaborative effort to avoid transparency and to declare untrustworthy and inconceivable results in favour of Mr Granger.
The unashamed action of the RO to stand in the eyes of the world and halt the verification and tabulation process to make the declaration despite assurances from the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of its continuation was the pivotal moment when democracy and the integrity of one’s vote was subverted. However, the resoluteness of those who stood up for democracy and transparency led to an intervention from the High Court.
Even that did not deter the RO’s intent as his defiance seemed to have no boundary. He remained steadfast and unsurprisingly, there was no delay and no one sick or tired as he rushed through and made another declaration for Region Four in favour of Mr Granger. Had it not been for court action and Caricom’s intervention, Mr Granger possibly might have already been sworn in.
What is unmistakably absent is any objection to the RO’s action vis-à-vis unverified spreadsheet, delays through illness and tiredness from both Mr Granger and his subjects in the APNU/AFC coalition. Despite what all others, including diplomats and observers, saw and objected to, conversely APNU/AFC officials overtly supported the RO under the pretext that he must be allowed to do his job and that GECOM is independent and must not be interfered with.
With the allegation that the signature of a very senior APNU/AFC official appeared on the RO’s declaration being uncontested, that belief of collaboration may be hard to dismiss. With that particular official and others in the APNU/AFC camp having seemingly unfettered access to GECOM officials during that process, those suspicions are strengthened and a fallacy probably exposed.
That in itself could debunk Mr Granger’s utterance of GECOM’s independence. Interestingly, were Mr Granger in the Opposition and had the exact scenario played out, would he still promote GECOM’s independence? Convenience has taken priority.
