We want peace not conflict

Apr 21, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

It never stops with the PPP until they get their own way. Thankfully, someone succeeded in getting GECOM to recognise that with the coronavirus social distancing is critical to prevent catching the virus and spreading it. The World Health Organisation, the Government of Guyana, you name it, have all been pointing to this important guideline and calling for strict obedience. This opportunity is taken to thank CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque or getting GECOM to accept this dose of truth.
20 workstations are the ideal environment to risk contracting and spreading the virus because this would mean hundreds will be in the same space at the same time. This is suicidal. The Government has said no more than 50 persons should be gathered at one place.
Opposition Commissioners Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj know this but still proposed 20 work stations. They are even upset GECOM did not accept the 20. They sound as though they do not care how many people and their families lives they are putting at risk just to get what they want. It is heartless and unconscionable.
Another concern is the safety of the containers, ballot boxes and the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. We cannot have ballot boxes in the yard being opened and the votes counted. We cannot have too many persons in the compound and building at the same time. We cannot have the Centre swarmed. We cannot have a repeat of the hooliganism that happened when the counting was operating out of Ashmin building. This is a security risk and recipe for disaster.
How can we forget what Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo; prime ministerial candidate, Mark Phillips; presidential candidate, Dr. Irfaan Ali and other members of the PPP leadership did? How can we forget the bullyism and the vile threats to GECOM staff? How we can forget the fear Chairwoman Justice Claudette Singh may have felt when she heard or saw the video of these persons storming the building and trying to breakdown her office door on some nancy story about having an interest in her safety? GECOM must not allow for a repeat. GECOM must obey COVID guidelines and ensure the safety of those assisting with the recounting of votes cast in Region One to Region 10.
How can we forget young unarmed policemen and women looking fearful for their lives in the presence of opposition bullyism, threats and insults? I don’t think these officers can forget local observer and attorney-at-law Glen Hanoman trying to force his way pass security to gain entry to the upper floor. How can we erase from our memory him turning to the PPP presidential candidate and saying “Dr. Ali, you must mark these police faces when the government change, they must know their jobs in jeopardy?” He was threatening those policewomen’s jobs.
How can we forget it was the bad behaviour of the PPP leaders in the Ashmin’s building which made their supporters feel they can attack police officers in the streets? How can we forget what happened in Bush Lot on the West Coast Berbice when protesters pelted the police with bottles and bricks? How can we forget when police had to run away to save their lives? How can we forget the protestors chopping the police and police in defence shooting one of them? How can we forget the school buses in West Coast Berbice that were stoned by protesters, injuring innocent children going home from school?
These images haunt. We want peace not conflict. We want to maintain the security of the boxes and count all votes. We want GECOM staff to be safe, to work in an environment where they don’t have to worry about obeying physical distancing. We want these agents and CARICOM team to do their work free from the fear of opposition bullyism and threats to their lives and safety. We want the observers to respect their fellowman and obey the laws.

Yours Sincerely,
B. Beniprashad Rayman

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