Mr. Ramjattan’s fulminations were provocative to say the least

Jul 23, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

As if the ongoing saga over the selection of a new Chairman for GECOM and the attendant concerns as regards the holding of free and fair elections are not sufficient enough for the nation to bear, National Security Minister,
Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan recently made certain belligerent remarks that should not go unchallenged.
The background to this sad episode is as follows: Mr. Ramjattan took off on a jaunt to Berbice where upon arrival at New Amsterdam, he ensconced himself at a local TV station and, while facing the cameras, he wittingly or unwittingly, framed what could very well turn out to be his government’s public security narrative for the impending general and regional elections.
Mr. Ramjattan was at the time speaking in his capacity as Minister of Public Security on an AFC TV programme.
Brushing aside the CCJ assigned name tag, ‘caretaker government,’ the Public Security Minister went off on a frolic of his own seeking to convince Berbicians that the Coalition Government’s legal authority is unfettered and unrestrained.
Waxing warm in a rather unpolished and bullyish manner, the Public Security Minister, boasted;
“We have all the powers… we will utilise all those powers to maintain that we have credible elections.”
And as if his implicit threat was not ominous enough, Ramjattan went on to warn listeners;
“And of course if they the Opposition feel they want to create civil strife and all that in the streets of Georgetown, or Port Mourant or in Anna Regina or wherever, we have what it takes to ensure that we have stability and security in this country.”
Mr. Ramjattan’s fulminations were unpropitious, as they were provocative to say the least, especially when situated in the context of an already combustive political environment and more so, when placed in the context of what portends for future elections in Guyana.
From his statements, the Minister of Public Security seems inclined to take Guyana back to what the GCCI described as, ‘the dark days of ‘Trouble’ during election periods…’
Questions are being asked; what did Mr. Ramjattan mean when he said, “we have what it takes?” Was he referring to thuggery or the use of force through the misuse of law enforcement, or a combination of both to quell peaceful protests?
The Minister must offer a public explanation as regards who is the “We” and what is it that the lame duck government, intends to use against peaceful protestors who is it he anticipates creating the “civil strife” he talks about.
Beginning with the elections in 1973, when the army took possession of the ballot boxes resulting in the death of two militants of the PPP, on the Corentyne, elections in Guyana has been marred by fear, threats, bullyism and violence.
The popular perception is this objectionable social behaviour centrally directed from deep within the inner sanctums of the PNC
As recent as the last elections in May 2015, there were episodes of violence, arson and beatings on elections day at Sophia and Lodge, Georgetown.
The victims were known, or suspected to be, sympathetic to the PPP.
These occurrences were reported to the police but, as is common with reports from PPP activists to police stations at elections time, such reports go no further than the four corners of the station sergeant’s desk. Some reports are not even entered into the occurrence book.
The “civil strife” Mr. Ramjattan may be referring to is perhaps a reflection of the mindset of the Coalition’s fear that the dirty tricks they intend to deploy are likely to backfire exposing the underbelly of their rigging machine.
In these modern times where information communication technology (ICT) is now playing a major role in electoral processes, from a cyber security standpoint, attention must be paid to GECOM’s information technology (IT) and cyber security infrastructure.
In this respect, the voter registration/National Register of Registrants (NRR) data base, the voter’s list, voting procedures, storage of ballot boxes and elections materials, identification of polling places and all the associated IT infrastructure systems used to manage elections have become critical areas that require high level security coverage.
Moreover, the tabulating, counting, auditing, displaying publicly elections results, as well as post election validation and certification of the results are critical areas of the electoral process that, for security and other reasons, require oversight by qualified, professional and possibly overseas information technology experts.
The Coalition’s can of dirty tricks facilitated by GECOM, if allowed to prevail will aim at reducing voter registration and turn out on elections day, primarily of opposition voters. The strategic objective is to ensure a greater majority of the APNU+AFC in parliament.
Mr. Ramjattan must know that suspicions and tensions tend to run high during an elections campaign, on elections day itself and in the post elections period depending on the elections results. There is nothing hypothetical about this.
So for Mr. Ramjattan to come along suddenly and brusquely hurl threats at the PPP about how he intends to deal with civil strife, is to feign ignorance of the impact his statement would have on the behaviour of voters from both opposition and government.
Past experiences showing how the security forces under the PNC have dealt with opposition political parties during an elections period do not leave much ground for optimism.
While the comment by the Commissioner of Police that “the Guyana Police Force is fully prepared for the hosting of general elections whenever the announcement is made” appears apolitical, the question is, should the Commissioner’s “fully prepared” be read to mean “We have what it takes to ensure stability and security” in the words of his Minister?
The fundamental question therefore is, knowing that any instruction by Mr. Ramjattan to the Commissioner of Police in the midst of elections season is a political instruction, would the Commissioner and his commanders on the ground, act in accordance with those instructions or in a professional unbiased, and nonpartisan manner towards the broad array of non-governmental and political forces in the run-up to the elections, on elections day and in the aftermath of the elections?
That aside, if the puffs of ominous smoke emanating from government especially the Ministry of the Presidency with respect to the consequential orders of the CCJ are indications of the path the Coalition intends to take then clearly, we can expect increased violations of the Constitution, continued undermining of the rule of law, backsliding on our democratic gains and the eventual establishment of authoritarian rule in Guyana.
Under these conditions, the role and place of the Joint Services will be of great interest nationally and internationally.
But the unwelcome signals aside, It is essential that the forces opposed to any movement in the direction earlier mentioned, recognize that voter confidence in the electoral process and public safety and security are integral to, and essential features of free and fair elections.
Any security blanket established for the holding of elections is unique to the local conditions obtaining in every country and Guyana is no exception, however, whatever the security coverage, it should not, or rather, it must not be perceived as partisan nor biased in favour of the ruling Coalition.
Moreover, since GECOM’s independence appears compromised as the signs are clearly indicating, that it is working hand in glove with government, it would not be speculative to conclude that this collaboration has one objective, to thwart the will of the electorate.
Under such conditions, the people will have no alternative but to fight back.
It is generally accepted that Guyanese value their vote as sacred and if that is to be threatened in anyway those affected will have to protect their highly valued franchise.
If it this fight back by the disenfranchised to protect or regain their franchise that Mr. Ramjattan has deemed “civil strife,” then perhaps the “War Break” command issued by Minister Jordan from Bartica must be taken seriously.
The Public Security Minister must recognize that the days have long past when governments can willy-nilly suppress and oppress the political opposition, elections or no elections. The days of strongman rule as an alternative to democratic rule has been tried, tested by many but it has been proven obsolete in today’s world.
Mr. Ramjattan has brought matters pertaining to security into the discussion on elections and he is free to do so, but when he seeks to mask government’s sinister intentions as well meaning and refuses to recognize that suppression of the right to peaceful demonstrations for free and fair elections is unacceptable in these times it simply means that the caretaker administration would end up holding a petard in its hand.

Yours faithfully
Clement J. Rohee

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