STEP- OFF THE EXCUSES!

Oct 20, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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APNU is on the ropes and is retreating in the face of its failure so far to energize its political campaign. The PPP rallies have intimidated APNU and instead of spending time mobilizing its constituents and winning adherents from across the political divide, APNU, as the PNCR did in 2006, is making excuses even before Nomination Day arrives.
In 2006, the PNCR was not in a state of readiness for the elections and tried to divert attention from its lack of preparedness. The party tried to divert attention to the voters list arguing about the need for a verification of the list, something that would have forced a delay and ensured a constitutional crisis in the country.
Even though it was explained to the party over and over that given the controls that were in place for polling day, that it was near impossible for the fears to be realized. Extra control measures were put in place to appease them. Yet the PNCR persisted with the silliness about verification.
It was not until a representative of the ABC countries let known their position on the state of preparedness that the PNCR stopped with their protests outside of the Guyana Elections Commission and agreed to proceed with the elections. By that time it had lost face with the Guyanese public who saw through the whole exercise.
APNU is repeating this masquerade. It is now protesting the appointment of a particular Returning Officer. The party is wasting its energies on the picket line rather than placing those energies into mobilizing their constituents and trying to win over new adherents to their coalition.
If APNU has evidence against the returning officer it wishes removed, it should publish this evidence. Let the public be the judge. The media is there to expose whatever evidence it has. This will also force the Guyana Elections Commission to produce its own records on the matter and justify the vote to maintain the individual.
If APNU feels seriously about the person concerned, the party grouping must produce the evidence that is so damning. But they must also be reminded that in 2006, the PNCR took court action to ensure that the respective returning officers declared the results for the respective regions.
So if it has problems with the returning officer for Region Four, the most populous region, it should lay it out in public instead of trying to divert attention from the fact the campaign lacks zip at the moment.
APNU is panicking and it is wasting precious time and resources on a matter that can be better handled if it makes whatever evidence it has, public.
The PPP is also panicking but unlike APNU it is not diverting attention and staging protests in front of GECOM which can but only affect the credibility of that body.
The PPP has for all its hype has had disappointing turnouts at all of its rallies. The rally at Linden was by the standards of 2006 a huge flop for the PPP. The turnout was poor compared to 2006 when the PPP did extremely well. Kitty was also a major disappointment. And the turnout at Albion was disastrous by the PPP’s high standards of mobilization.
And just how is the PPP reacting to these problems? The PPP is not throwing in red herrings and trying to make excuses about the electoral process.
The PPP has mobilized its volunteers and they are going house to house trying to get the vote out. While the PPP is doing the legwork, APNU is crying foul about some returning officer and other issues such as access to the media which GECOM has no legal authority to enforce.
APNU is also “following the leader.” The PPP is the leader at the moment and APNU is following the lead of the PPP instead of setting the pace and tone of their own campaign. APNU has played “cat and mouse” with the naming of its prime ministerial candidate, waiting to see what the PPP would come up with before responding.
Only now that the PPP has named its candidate that APNU has made the long- anticipated announcement about its prime ministerial candidate choosing one of the leaders of the WPA to fill this position.
APNU has to get its act together because the Guyanese people are not going to fall for any attempt to make GECOM the scapegoat for that coalition’s failure to get its campaign energized. If APNU hopes to enjoy a credible showing in this years elections it had better upturn and revamp its campaign machinery because right now that machinery needs oiling.
It also has to focus on getting the vote out and not become embroiled in exercises that will spend its energies and not have any impact on its electoral support.
Christmas is around the corner and if APNU believes that the Guyanese people are going to sit by and allow it to make excuses about its inevitable loss of the elections, it is wrong.
APNU should feel no shame or dishonour in its loss of the elections. Some elections are just not meant to be won by the opposition. The polls of November 28 seem to be one such case. But at least do your best! Lose with some class!

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