A National Necessity

Jun 03, 2022 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I am encouraged by, and applaud, the efforts of Dr. Yog Mahadeo and others in reminding all of us of a very disturbing chapter in our immediate past with a view to correcting it, ensure accountability and, if possible, finding solutions to problems that gave rise to it. The March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were certainly the most contentious and fiercely contested this century. They were characterised by allegations of misconduct and illegalities at several levels which led to demonstrations and violence (even against police officers and children), foreign involvement and threat of sanctions, efforts at mediation, division and friction within GECOM, legal manipulations, overturning of results and the introduction of new electoral counting and reporting systems, and interminable delays, all of which led to an official declaration viewed with suspicion and disbelief by manyand is under judicial challenge. Dr. Mahadeo seems to think that a Commission of Inquiry appointed by the government, and supported by the international community, offers the best opportunity to address the issues raised regarding causation and accountability. My own understanding, and preference, is for the constitutionally-appointed system of judicial review to be undertaken without further delay. When a mob, largely comprised of
persons not authorised to be there and others acting outside of their authority and the law, storms GECOM, forcing staffers to seek sanctuary and the Chairperson to barricade herself in her office, and disrupts the tabulation of results by the Returning Officer (RO) of Region 4 is encouraged and supported and the High Court chooses to reward their lawlessness by satisfying their demands to halt, and then overturn, a declaration, not on the merits of their challenge which was demonstrably frivolous (that the RO used a spreadsheet and that the votes were not fully verified) but on the grounds that the declaration was not publicly made as required by Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act raises serious questions of judicial integrity which were only aggravated by the Chief Justices subsequent actions to deny two election petitions filed by APNU+AFC challenging the conduct and outcome of these elections. These questions are multiplied by the Chairpersons decisions to set aside valid election results,
introduce new systems for counting, reconciliation and reporting of votes (which she administers selectively), and rejecting, then demanding,
specific advice to be tendered by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO). And the decision to place the CEO, DCEO and RO of Region 4 before the courts, and to terminate their employment with GECOM without evidence of wrongdoing, only suggests an interest in victimisation and not accountability. I agree with Dr. Mahadeo completely that an independent and thorough investigation is a national

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