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The PNC’s ever-present fear of losing in a free and fair process

Nov 02, 2017 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The PNC-Led Coalition Government will always find it difficult to choose a chairman of the Elections Commission, period! In fact, if they should have their way, they would get rid of an elections commission altogether. This is the naked truth and no one can challenge me on this note.
From its inception, the Carter Centre realized how entrenched the PNC was on hanging on to power, and the perennial problem of rigged elections, that they came up with a constitutional body, comprising government and opposition, towards the establishment of a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
It is an independent body (at least should be) which would administer free and fair elections. What the PNC has done is prostitute the system and turned it into a body that is owned and controlled by them. In this regard, we have come a full 180o – back to the place where we were prior to 1992.
The stage is set and the next move is to carry out a rigged election. But like I said in a previous letter, the task of rigging the next election would be extremely difficult to carry out, especially when you view a failed economy like a millstone hanging around their necks. How could anyone be so daft as to vote for them when the situation in the country is in dire straits?
The situation has worsened in every respect and the lives of the people are most miserable. No one in his/her right mind can envision a PNC-Led Coalition victory with the state this economy is in. I repeat, no one! So, there are some of the insurmountable hurdles that they have to face up to in order to pull off a victory.
Even among its own supporters the fear and uncertainty is real, all around are the cries of the poor and dispossessed. It has now dawned on them that they were led to believe that this administration would ever deliver anything good. They were fooled, used and abused by the Granger Government.
That being said, let me get back to the real fear of the PNC. Their fear lies in an elections commission as well as in a free and fair process, that’s their problem.
Going back to the days of Desmond Hoyte, a GECOM, as well as the appointment of a chairman of that entity, was a sore point. Hoyte took two years to finally come to the point of acceptance in 1992. The establishment of Mr Rudy Collins as the first chairman then saw the holding of free and fair elections and the restoration of the democratic process.
From 1992 until October of this year, this constitutional right worked for us, that is, the chairman is selected from a list of six names submitted by the Opposition, in this instance eighteen names. That is it, end of discussion! However, on the coming to office and power of the PNC, the Carter formula has suddenly become a problem.
There is this crass departure from the norm where the President can refuse selection of one of 18 names and choose a known party loyalist of his own. This is unacceptable under any known circumstances and should not be condoned. The President must choose a name from the list provided by The Leader of The Opposition. And no amount of excuses from the spin doctors can change that fact. They cannot wish away the fact. They cannot convince anyone that Mr Granger cannot select a name from the three lists submitted by Dr. Jagdeo? Never! Try making excuses and see how foolish they are made out to be.
But, the fear of losing in a free and fair process is ever present and real to the PNC, that’s their problem.
Neil Adams

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