The tragedy continues to unfold

Sep 06, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

The nature of the PNC/APNU+AFC is unfolding before our very eyes. They are dismantling all the democratic gains made since 1992 and have created an illegal government in our country. Indeed this elite group has resorted to the same type of governance as was done between 1964 -1992.
It must be no surprise to anyone that the governing elite has accumulated huge fortunes in the short period in power. Apart from the newfound wealth, they seem to get a strange delight in wielding power over the people more akin to a feudal lord ruling over his/her peasants.
To stay in power to protect their ill-gotten gains and to increase it even more, this clique is destroying and emasculating all of our more important state institutions.
It is succeeding because many persons in the Public Service, including in Constitutional institutions, are either in cahoots with the clique and therefore part of the elite, or are afraid to stand up for the rights of our people. The clique that wields power is most likely using a combination of threats and bribes to obtain results that it wants from our “independent” offices.
That is the only explanation that makes any sense as we examine events unfolding since this clique seized power in May 2015.
Let us take, for instance, the decision of the GECOM to merge the data from the House to House Registration with the present clean voters’ list, that gave us elections in 2015 and later, Local Government elections. What is the purpose of this and where is it taking us?
It is clear that by undertaking such an exercise, the whole present verified list would be contaminated and therefore made unsuitable for elections. It could be so deliberately damaged that elections could be postponed for years.
This is precisely what the PNC did in 1990 when elections were supposed to have been held. They messed up the list so badly that it was rendered useless. To correct that, a new house to house registration had to be done. That gave the PNC two extra years in power! This is what it appears they want to repeat.
Without doubt, the PNC has put its rigging machinery in full swing.
The house to house registration of 2019 was an illegal act. I say this boldly because even though I am not a lawyer, I was a member of the National Assembly in 2007 when, in order to do house to house registration, the National Registration Act had to be amended. That was done by amendment 31 of 2007. That amendment stated that data compiled was the basis for continuous Registration.
The National Assembly made no further amendments to that Act since then. Therefore, the latest house to house Registration was illegal.
Moreover, the law states that any such exercise must be supervised by the Elections Commission. The staff that is recruited to accomplish that task must be chosen by the Commission, not by the Chief Elections Officer.
Since the Commission was not functioning then, that exercise was not done by the Commission, not in accordance with the law, thus on those two further counts it was illegal.

According to the law, any person who is registered twice is breaking the law. It is a criminal act with penalty of imprisonment. The illegal staff was conducting an illegal activity when they ventured to register persons another time.
The only proper thing to do with the data compiled by GECOM “staff” is to discard it. It must not be allowed to contaminate a list that has been verified, and a good basis for holding elections after a Claims and Objections period.
Trying to merge it is to pursue the plans of the PNC/APNU which is unfolding in the glare of the public. The PNC/APNU+AFC clique is doing its darnedest to frustrate the will of the Guyanese people.
I have stated before that the sole purpose of establishing a Ministry of Citizenship was to rig elections, to perpetuate themselves in power.
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the PNC/APNU knows that they are specialized in corruption, including corrupting elections. They have the most experience, the world’s best riggers, without a doubt.
From the beginning they decided that they would use the state to enrich themselves and to stay in power by foul means, including criminal acts.
How else can we explain the total insensitivity of increasing their salaries by 50% and allowances by an unknown rate? What was the logic in the massive dismissal of Indian and Amerindian Guyanese from the public service? How can we understand the dismissal of workers in forestry and the more than two hundred tax measures placed on our people, including the small and medium scale producers in Mining and Agriculture? This is only a few of the outrages they have committed.
Clearly they are not looking to have people to support them, because they have established a rigging machinery from the beginning with the intent of staying in power without a mandate from our people.
The PNC APNU/AFC operation was disrupted by the No Confidence Motion.
The main aspect of that operation was to use immigration to give themselves some more seats. This is an operation financed by APNU, most likely using state funds. That is why we can be sure that they would destroy the Audit Office or staff it with loyal PNC activists
Who is paying for the air tickets for these people? These are people given jobs as watchmen and cleaners in this country, it is logical to assume that if they come here to do menial jobs they could not afford an air ticket. I was recently told that Haitians are boarding the plane in Panama with Guyana Passports. How and where did they get those passports?
Added to this is the fact that they are given special attention/privilege at the CJIA and transported in buses to their destinations in Guyana.
The fingerprint of the PNC is all over this operation, it stinks to high heaven.
This is blatant exploitation of poor Black people for the further enrichment of the PNC elite. It will result in degradation and poverty of all Guyanese, including those being recruited now. What a tragic turn of history!
This PNC elite will be judged harshly. It is also a massive operation of trafficking in persons and given legal covering by the regime. A more naked political prostitution is hard to imagine!
The PNC/APNU/AFC while mouthing nationalist slogans really do not care a damn about the people of this country. All they want is to continue enriching themselves at the nation’s expense. This is a real recipe for disaster. This diabolical plan must be frustrated!
To succeed the people must stand-up against the regime. They must make their voices heard!
Moreover, they must demand that some persons in Constitutional offices stop kowtowing to the PNC, straighten their backs, and prevent another tragedy from visiting our country.
Donald Ramotar
Former President

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