C&O issue can exert a malignant influence on our fragile democracy

Jul 24, 2011 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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It is with grave concern that the AFC views the passage of legislation to facilitate the re-opening of the claims and objections period.
The “divisions” called for in the National Assembly will record the AFC’s principled stance on this very serious issue which has the potential to exert a malignant influence on Guyana’s fragile democracy.
However, at the very outset, we wish to reiterate the central thesis of last week’s column that the present mess is a direct consequence of the PPP’s incompetence.
That is at the heart of this issue. The fact remains that the Ministry of Home Affairs repudiated the assistance and expertise of GECOM in elevating the efficiency of the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) even though GECOM had promised to source foreign finances for it.
Clement Rohee’s posturing in the National Assembly last Thursday to the effect that GECOM wanted to assume authority and control at the GRO has to be seen for what it really is: a charlatan’s attempt to dodge responsibility for his dismal failure.
The work of GECOM and the GRO are closely intertwined and thus an integrated approach needed to have been adopted. We are indeed awaiting the Chairman’s response to this accusation.
Such posturing violates all responsible approaches to governance issues where State officials take responsibility and even resigning in some instances. Instead of taking full responsibility, Rohee talked of burying the hatchet and smoking the peace pipe.
Minister Frank Anthony as was expected, harangued the Assembly with a litany of the PNC’s electoral transgressions. It is not altogether certain what Anthony’s tales of the “ballot box” martyrs have to do with this disingenuous attempt to subvert our democracy.
This has developed as the standard PPP justification for its misrule. What the PNC did in the past does not give the PPP carte blanche to do similar.
During the parliamentary session, the PPP ministers chose to all beat the drums of disenfranchisement yet this is the same government which has disenfranchised Guyanese at the local government level for over a decade. This is real wolf-like intentions in the language of sheep’s clothing. The Guyanese people should not be so easily fooled!
The present PPP cabal have absolutely no interest in upholding democratic values and norms. Democracy is treated as something to be floated when it is in their interest and convenience to do so and subsequently flouted when it comes to concrete governance issues.
Also, we would like to reiterate that this reopening which was agreed to by GECOM has the potential to erode the confidence that the stakeholders have entrusted to it.
The Guyana Elections Commission is obligated to display impartiality and nonpartisanship in its dealings with all the contesting political entities.
Collusion with one to the chagrin of all others, especially in such weighty matters, can have major repercussions down the line.
The fact that GECOM had previously expressed a sharp hesitancy to reopen the process but has now buckled to the PPP’s demands and threat of Court Action, adds credence to this perception of collusion.
The AFC has also noted the highly treacherous voting of Mr. Robert Williams, who in communication with the opposition, had endorsed the view that the reopening of the Claims and Objections period was laden with difficulties and dangers, but mysteriously voted with the PPP for the reopening of the exercise. We believe that there is something highly mischievous afoot.
We also believe that there will have to be a serious review of the commissioners’ tenure. Mr. Williams at present does not represent any parliamentary political party and must summarily resign.
The AFC submits that the agreement brokered by Robert Corbin and Lance Carberry with the Government before the parliamentary session began, ostensibly adopting a pragmatist approach, does little to allay the fear that this reopening was advocated for by the PPP to delay the holding of elections possibly beyond the constitutional deadline of December 28 2011.
Thus we believe that these meaningless concessions do not justify the PNC’s support for the Bill which Mr. Corbin himself deemed as discriminatory during the debate and will not sufficiently address the core of the problem.
We believe that this move sets a dangerous precedent which can indeed come back to haunt the electoral process.
Specifically, if after this 13 days period, a new claim is made that there exists persons with fresh source documents, they would have legitimate grounds to demand a further reopening. That is a dangerous precedent!
The AFC submits that even in the most advanced democracies 100 per cent or even 99.5 per cent registration is not feasible.
The facts revealed that the National Register of Registrants (NRR) is estimated at 470,000. The PPP claims that some 5,000 persons remain unregistered.
That translates into 98.9 per cent of the eligible population as being duly registered. It should however be pointed out here that this figure of 5,000 persons with fresh source documents said to be ready for registration is not an established fact. This is more a “guesstimation” flouted by the PPP. The figure that had been mentioned by GECOM was in the vicinity of 2,000.
As we have said before, what undergirds the PPP’s new found love of enfranchisement is an uneasiness by the political pundits at Robb Street by what they have been finding on the ground: massive disenchantment with the PPP’s misrule.
The PPP’s desire to delay the elections is also motivated by a strategic Machiavellian tactic to prolong the campaign period.
Buoyed by its abuse of the State resources, it is expecting to imperil the smaller parties who are not so advantaged.
As Presidential Candidate Khemraj Ramjattan pointed out during the debates, the PPP seems highly desirous of tapping into funds that are expected to flow into Guyana as part of the US$250M Climate Change deal with Norway.
The AFC will however continue its thrust to educate the Guyanese people of the substantive issues which bedevil their life in this country with so much potential. We are confident that they will be ready for a change.

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