Dear Editor,
As the Eyewitness observed, GECOM has created an obstacle course for the PPP/C and its supporters for the March 2 elections. The latest obstacle is the changing of and reduction in the number of Polling Stations. GECOM is blatantly doing this only in PPP/C strongholds and blaming it on the Carter Center. This is a GECOM manufactured James Comey at that proverbial 12th hour. The changes are incredible because they have reopened a settled issue which negatively affects mainly PPP/C supporters and are being done mere days from the polls. If this is what Carter Center intended then they are guilty of voter suppression.
At the minimum, these late changes will create confusion amongst PPP/C voters who are unsure where they have to go cast their ballot. The confusion will be amplified on Election Day when voters turn up and find that they are not registered at a particular Polling Station. PPP/C did a lot of work to educate voters as to their respective Polling Stations and spent hours in the field to reinforce that. GECOM’s actions, therefore, undermine all of the PPP/C’s hard work. It also compounds a newly created problem whereby too many have to be processed by too few Polling Stations. At one Polling Station on the East Coast, 7000 people are registered to cast their ballots. This works out to 6 seconds per person which is obviously impossible. Based on my own experience, it takes at least 15-20 minutes when there is no crowd.
My own family, carrying the same surname and living at the same address, has been split up to vote at two different polling places. This makes no sense. In some cases, entire villages have to travel miles to other villages to vote. In other cases, the Polling Station is located in a cow pasture. I wonder what will happen if it is windy and if it rains. On top of all this, GECOM is still to issue the final list of electors. GECOM’s actions are simply mind-boggling but make perfect sense if voter suppression in PPP/C strongholds is their primary goal. Unless the Carter Center denies that this was done at their behest I will have to conclude that they are complicit in what is going to be an unfair election.
PPP/C supporters need to remain calm, get out early, be prepared to endure a long wait and generally expect the worse. If this Granger cabal is allowed to steal another term, the little which remains will be frittered away in the same vein as the US$55 billion so I urge my brothers and sisters to be resolute.
Sincerely,
Ravi Ram
