The word “impossible,” unlike many allows no ambiguity

Jun 02, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

I am surprised, if not saddened by the strong statement made by the EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz-Canto.
He noted that “Election Day process so impressive that it was impossible to cheat,” and then he went on to tell us how simple the electoral process is in his home country, Spain.
Things must have changed, but certainly, no Diplomat or any realist can say publicly, that it is impossible to cheat.
The word “impossible,” unlike many allows no ambiguity.
Impossible therefore, it either flows from a person who is, either, very simple or unaware that unless you have one hundred percent data and information, you ought not to arrive at the dictum that “it was impossible.”
As a kind person, I can forgive the Ambassador and say that he is either following the song sheet of an expert choir master or unaware of the genius of citizens, when it comes to General Elections.
This genius, skill or proclivity to give your Party an advantage applies to both sides of our political divide and no one including foreigners should succumb to this “holier than Thou” rhetoric bellowed daily by all political parties.
His statement of course, has become familiar, coming from the baton of the conductor and choir master.
Second, the recount process, is now in its final stage and it is baffling that the EU Representative should wish to comment at this junction.
“Impossible to cheat?” Cheating in its several forms could start long before Election Day and after.
Everywhere, if you go to Elections with an imperfect list, you provide opportunities for voter manipulation.
To say “it is impossible to cheat,” is either being naïve or just plain, naughty.
In Guyana, we are entertaining Ambassadors and others from every continent.
These are times of uncertainty and we cannot ignore the diversity of criteria and beliefs extant.
So why this dictum from a European high official and Spanish citizen?
Excellency Fernando Ponz-Canto, must know that for a plethora of reasons, National Elections don’t always bring a settlement.
In his own country Spain, there are political lock-downs (forgive the term).
There is an argument among the parties, but who represents democratic socialism, or western style democracy.
Because of these contortions, his country has had to walk the torturous road of four elections in four years, in an effort to break the stalemate.
Like Guyana, his country remains deeply divided and I don’t know why with this background, he should step out of his crease to say “it is impossible to cheat,” and make statements which appear to be in tandem with views expressed by only one side of the political divide.
I repeat, for the benefit of outsiders and fellow travellers, elections and politics are not the business of angels and saints.
Since 1957, every election in Guyana experienced dissatisfaction and the emergence of warring factions and worst, racial divide.
Some of us continue to plea that we must recognize the division along ethnic lines, which has been the curse of our nation and only serious dialogue with the purportedly leaders can bring an end to this self-destructive nonsense.
Ambassadors and high officials from other countries must have been briefed about our history including the dark, dangerous days of the early 60s and the murderous period, we experienced recently.
Not having diplomatic skills, I cannot help feeling that much of the hype, statements and threats coming from certain folks is likely rooted in a deep innate disdain for certain folks.
This goes to several centuries where the Europeans exploited Africans and later created a clever divide and rule policy within the Manumitted Africans and Immigrants.
This of course has produced conditions where it is alright for representatives of the First World to talk down to us and dismiss our concerns.
The Trans-Atlantic Trade with immigration from Madeira, India and China, were ideal conditions to show distrust and division.
Diplomats must be reminded that poor as we may be with no military might, all we ask is to respect our sovereignty and our pride as a people.
It might be useful if my hunch is anywhere correct to remember an analysis by Professor Ali A. Mazrui, when he observed “The Martyr in the religious and ideological sphere suffers victimization for his or her beliefs. The martyr in the racial sphere suffers victimization for his or her identity. Christians in ancient Rome were pure belief-martyrs. Africans, during the slave trade were pure identity-martyrs.
The Jews in Hitler’s Germany were a combination of the two, since being a Jew is in part a religious thing and partly an ethnic phenomenon.
Perhaps, because of that, the Jews have managed in turn their suffering under the Nazis into a religious doctrine, as well as a political resource. But Blacks have neither sacralised their suffering into a sacred doctrine nor exploited it as a political fund.”
I hope I can be proved wrong, but are the attitudes and views of those who are exploited and exploiters are still intact centuries after but with much sophistication these days?
Look around the world and we still face the old boogey-man by the powerful of “do as I say, not like as I do.”

Hamilton Green

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