Two mysteries involving David Granger and Volda Lawrence

Aug 26, 2020 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Two mysteries that are described below occurred in the final week of July that certain people in the PNC know about. The first mystery includes the three PNC GECOM commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman and Charles Corbin; President Granger and the PNC and AFC executives.
The second enigma involved Granger alone and within hours, certain PNC leaders came to know about it. We will never have a description of these inscrutabilities unless years from now a memoir is written and revelations are made. Here are brief notes on the two strange events. This columnist hereby asserts that the narrations below are based on factual occurrences. I am uncertain if the PPP leadership is in possession of the facts surrounding the first event but I rather suspect in relation to the second strange occurrence, Mr. Jagdeo and other PPP leaders may know about it.
Here we go. The big wigs in both the PNC and AFC had made up their minds that they were not giving up power; sanctions or no sanctions. In the final week of July, Granger came under intense pressure to concede when the second tranche of visa withdrawals were made with the US signalling financial sanctions were on their way. Many powerful mandarins and their families were putting pressure on Granger.
Granger was facing extreme heat from two directions. Those who felt the battle and war had reached exhaustion point and the hardliners in the PNC led by Volda Lawrence and in the AFC, Raphael Trotman and Cathy Hughes. After the Chief Justice ruled the recount was to be the basis of the final declaration, there was unanimity in both the PNC and AFC on a strategy to remain in power.
Here it is the strategy. On Saturday, August 1, before Claudette Singh could have summoned a statutory meeting of GECOM, the three PNC commissioners would resign thus leaving Guyana without a legally constituted GECOM. In such circumstances, GECOM could not have summoned the Chief Elections Officer and a final declaration could not be made. Granger was to indicate to Singh that he would have an early replacement of the three resigned members but the obvious intention was to drag out that process.
We now know that the infamous three did not resign and on Sunday August 2, the sand castle of rigged elections was over with Granger conceding defeat. But when did Granger acknowledge the loss? It was the day before the intended resignation, that is, Friday July 31. Granger informed Singh late on Friday afternoon that he would accept a GECOM declaration. What caused this incredible suddenness?
Secretary of State, Pompeo telephoned Granger and there were no-nonsense words spoken by Mr. Pompeo. It was on Friday after that conversation that the five-month ordeal of Guyana was over. Late Friday night, Granger informed the PNC leadership about the Pompeo conversation. It was Lawrence that led the fight against Granger.
Let us rewind the tape to the months of June and the early days of July. Lawrence was constantly in disagreement with Granger. The faction inside the PNC with two kingmakers of the AFC hit the roof when the recount decision was announced. Granger had trapped himself. It was Mia Mottley who put the suggestion to Granger that the controversy could be dissolved through a simple recount (see my article of Monday, July 6, 2020, “A secret about the CARICOM recount covenant that must be told.”)
Uncertain of how the PNC would react to Mottley’s intervention, Granger took the high ground and announced that it was he that requested the recount. But the PNC and AFC didn’t want any recount whatsoever either as an idea from Mottley or an initiative from Granger. The faction then tried to erase the recount by going to the court. From thereon, Lawrence and Granger were fated to become enemies.
All hell broke loose when Granger called off the strategy of GECOM resignations and accepted the recount result. From there on, the fight inside the PNC got uglier. One hopes Granger writes his memoir in which he would detail the nasty things the faction said about him after he conceded to the request of Pompeo. One member of the anti-Granger cabal told Granger this was the second time a Black president kowtowed to the Whiteman citing President Hoyte’s dealing with Jimmy Carter.
The above then explains the mystery that Dominic Gaskin in his interview with the Stabroek News said he doesn’t understand, that is, the suddenness of the decision by Granger to accept the result of the CARICOM brokered recount. But it wasn’t Gaskin alone. The entire Guyanese population was surprised. From that day, Granger was waiting to deal with Lawrence. He has now.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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