Unshackle our people; let us breathe again, Mr Granger

Dear Editor,
Mr David Granger knows very well that the PPP/C won the elections. He knows that his APNU+AFC Coalition lost the elections. He and his party, like the PPP/C, would have known the results from their polling agents in the 2,339 stations from all the Statements of Poll when the count was finished on the night of March 2, 2020.
If Presidents Hoyte and Ramotar could have known within 3 days of the elections, in 1992 and 2015 respectively, with less available technology, there is no way that Mr. Granger does not know the results. That is why his party, in cahoots with GECOM’s Lowenfield, has refused to release its Statements of Poll, and GECOM has also refused to do likewise, as it would have ended, once and for all, the suffering and anxiety that the people of this country have endured for the last 118 days.
Mr Granger knows the results of the recount done 3 weeks ago, which proved for the second time that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336, some 15,416 votes more than the APNU-AFC Coalition. Twice has he and his Coalition been defeated in the last 118 days. He does not have to wait for the official results.
Were he a man of honour and valour, he would have acted in a principled and dignified manner by accepting that he and his party have lost the elections. But no, that has not happened; the opposite has happened. He has dug his heels in, and intends to remain in office “come hell or high water.”
As l write this letter, his leaders are out in the field and the social media, deliberately misinforming their supporters by using Lowenfield’s fraudulent figures of the recount.
After the end of the recount on June 9th, Granger gave away his game plan during the June 12th interview, when he said, “We are also committed to ensuring that every legitimate vote is counted, but at the same time, we’re committed to removing the illegitimate votes. We are committed to ensuring that bogus votes, that people who were not in the jurisdiction, people who have no form of identification, will not be allowed to vote…It is my hope that the report of the CEO to the Commissioners would indicate that there has been a number of irregularities, and those irregularities have impaired the credibility of the electoral process”.
This “dog whistle” to Lowenfield was fulfilled the next day.
The June 15th report of the CARICOM Observer Team caused a problem to Granger’s plan, as it concluded that “nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2, 2020, elections”.
This was greeted with ice-cold silence from the de facto President Granger, who had personally taken credit for bringing the CARICOM Observer Team to witness the recount, and had baptised the CARICOM as the “legitimate interlocutor.”
Following this report and June 24th statement by the Head of the CARICOM, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, on June 24th, Granger let loose his party “bulldogs” to accuse PM Mia Mottley and the CARICOM, like all others before, of “foreign interference in the internal affairs of Guyana.”
Again, intransigent in holding on to power, Lowenfield, on June 23rd (despite a stay of execution), produced a new set of figures, giving Granger 33 seats in the legislature, while disenfranchising 115,000 voters.
Mr. Granger has pretended to be above the fray, while in fact he has been directing the show from behind the scenes. His paranoiac, delusional state cocoons him with the belief that defeat is not an option, as he has some special entitlement. He has won, and is entitled to remain in office regardless, and the whole world is against him and his party.
One only has to recall that, at his swearing-in ceremony on May 16, 2015, he quoted from the Psalms, “As the Lord hath called me to triumph, this is the day which He hath appointed for that purpose.” Few noticed the Messianic choice of words.
He has been impervious to the findings of the international and regional electoral observer missions on the March 2, 2020 elections and its aftermath, the appeals and repeated cautionary statements of the various political leaders outside the region: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Kozack, US Congressmen and Senators; the UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, as well as statements by the highest officials in international and regional bodies, such as the OAS, CARICOM, the European Union, and individual countries; as well as highly respected non-governmental organizations such as the Carter Center and The Elders.
Calls by old friends such as Sir Sridath Ramphal to comply with the rule of law for Guyana’s sake have been disregarded.
Dominic Gaskin, his son-in- law and leader of the AFC, has exposed the real danger: “The APNU+AFC has no intention of relinquishing control of government…”
Even in the height of this uncertainty, President David Granger has remained silent; and, from all indications, has not changed his position by conceding defeat and allowing the PPP/C, who are the legitimate winners of the elections, to be sworn in. Gaskin has proven to be a man of honour and valour.
Mr. David Granger had known all along that the 4,500 votes (less than 1% more votes) that put him in office on May 16 2015 were at best tenuous, and therefore his chances of winning in 2020 would be very slim. The fact that the PNC alone has never won an election prior to, and since, independence could not have escaped him. Thus, the conspiracy to tamper with the 2020 elections began in earnest long before the No Confidence Motion. It has failed. He now bears full responsibility for the present loss of his and the Coalition’s fate.
We, and the rest of the world leaders who have spoken, have had enough of this deception that has ensnarled our people in a state of mental anguish, economic uncertainty, and increasing poverty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not the first time we, as a country, have transitioned from one ruling party in government to another. President Hoyte relinquished to Dr. Cheddi Jagan following the first free and fair elections on October 5, 1992; and President Ramotar handed over to David Granger on May 16, 2015. These former Presidents proved that they were far superior in their commitment to democracy and nation than Mr. Granger.
On October 7, 1992 (2 days after the elections), the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Ambassador Rudy Collins, publicly reported that, with 95% of the ballots counted, the PPP/C had won 54% of the votes. On the same day, Chief Elections Officer Stanley Singh had reported to the Chair and the Commission the results and the seats’ allocation. The PPPC with 163,579 (28 seats), the PNC with 136,403 votes (23 seats) and one seat each for the TUF and the WPA. The other 12 seats would come from the regional seat allocation.
That very afternoon, a 2-man transition team was set up – comprised of Ambassador Cedric Grant, appointed by President Hoyte, and Dr. Roger Luncheon, appointed by President-Elect Dr. Cheddi Jagan – and began meeting the next day.
On the same day, October 7, 1992, Hugh Desmond Hoyte issued a statement, as President of the Republic of Guyana and Leader of the People’s National Congress, from the Office of the President, in which he declared “…on the basis of the numbers supplied to the PNC Campaign Headquarters by our agents, it appears that the People’s Progressive Party will have a majority, and it does not appear that votes not counted would materially alter the outcome….
“In keeping with the requirements of democracy, the People’s National Congress will accept the results of the poll…
“In the meantime, I would urge all Guyanese, in keeping with our democracy, to accept the results of the elections. We were determined to ensure their transparency, and we have succeeded. I expect all citizens to accept these political developments, maintain a peaceful and harmonious climate in the society, and keep the welfare and the good name of Guyana foremost in their minds”.
Dr. Cheddi Jagan was sworn in on October 9, 1992.
Following the May 11, 2015 elections, CEO Lowenfield, on May 15th, 2015, during his announcement of the results, admitted he had some concerns with some counterfeit statements of polls from districts across the country. Some of the statements that were delivered to GECOM were not on the same quality of paper on which the original statements were printed, and some were void of specific security features that characterize GECOM’s official paper. However, the Chief Elections Officer said the votes contained on those statements were not enough to change the outcome of the elections (note, this was Lowenfield’s position in a close-run race, with less than a 1% difference of votes between the PPPC and the APNU+AFC). Both CEO Lowenfield and GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally were quoted in the media as saying that the votes reflected on those statements could not change the overall outcome of the elections. “No change would deprive APNU+AFC of a victory.”
As a result of the closeness of the votes, President Donald Ramotar called for a full recount, and subsequently, on May 15, 2015, called for recount of 30 boxes. Both requests were rejected by the Chairman and the GECOM.

On May 15th, President Ramotar made a public announcement, wherein he stated, “The results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections have been declared by the Guyana Elections Commission. Unfortunately, these results have been shrouded in controversy…
While we are disappointed, hurt and aggrieved, I urge you to remain calm in the face of widespread provocation associated with triumphalism…
“My Party remains convinced that a recount would have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that the electoral processes had been compromised and the PPP/C would have won… We have agreed to pursue options for the redress under the constitution and the law, including an elections petition.”
A large Transition team was set up, and commenced meeting on Monday May 18th, headed by Dr. Luncheon for the outgoing administration and Mr. Joseph Harmon for President Granger.
This is the third transition of government.
Mr. Granger must live his owns words of June 14th: “My concern is for Guyana, what is best for Guyana. I would swim any river, climb any mountain, go into any alleyway, to ensure that the interests of the Guyanese people are protected. The welfare of the Guyanese people is my greatest concern. I am Guyanese…I want to see future generations happy. Guyana is my whole life.”
If these words are true, Mr. Granger must now tell his supporters and the country the truth, no matter how much it hurts. By this act alone, Mr. Granger will release GECOM from the tentacles of the rigging cabal and allow it to execute its constitutional duties unhindered. It will allow for the transition preparations to commence.
There is a small window left, Mr Granger; unshackle our people, let us breathe again. The people and country will thank you; your legacy will be redeemed.

Sincerely
Gail Teixeira