The one who is in charge of the PNC elections determines the winner

Dec 02, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Reference is made to your news report (Dec. 1) on Van West Charles hoping that the elections for leadership and other executive posts would be transparent (free and fair). How ironic that Van West Charles is appealing for FFE in his party when, under his government, from 1966 to 1992, and again in March 2020, it was denied to us.
If I remember my history well, it was his father-in-law, the late Forbes Burnham, who said those who vote don’t determine the outcome (winner) of the election. It is the person responsible for (who does) the counting that determines the outcome of elections. Indeed, that was the case in Guyana during the tenure of the PNC. In all PNC internal elections, the person in charge of the elections determined the outcome. If the counting was right, Carl Greenidge would have won the leadership some years ago and the PNC would have been a different party and Guyana probably a better place. I don’t think he would have attempted to rig elections, although he served a government that rigged elections and he was quiet during the effort to rig the 2020 election.
People I spoke with feel that the outcome of the Dec. 6, 2021, party election has been long determined. That is why Greenidge opted not to accept nomination for any post. Van West Charles is not even close in support with the other candidates aspiring to become leader. At any rate, according to my sources, even if he were to have the best election machinery and the voting process is free and fair, Van West Charles does not have much of a chance to win the leadership. He is trailing way behind the other three candidates. Basil Williams also does not have much of a chance. In this contest, slates of candidates matter as they bring out more voters on ‘your side”. A one-man team will not cut it, as it lacks manpower to convince delegates to vote for you. Harmon seems to have a better ethnically diverse slate. But ethnic overreach is a turn off among PNC supporters. Embracing members of another ethnicity is not necessarily an asset.
The contest is between Joe Harmon and Aubrey Norton’s slates. One is better than the other for the country in combating corruption. It is not secrecy in Guyana on who will win the contest; people are openly saying it will be manipulated in favour of one candidate. We await till after the declaration to see if they are right.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

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