I was approached by a high Govt. official to testify at the elections COI

Dec 28, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Because I was at the GECOM Ashmin building observing the certification of the SOP ballot count (of March 2, 2020 onwards) and was an eyewitness to the shenanigans and attempted skullduggery to change the electoral outcome, and was at almost all press conferences, I was approached by a high government official in October, long before the start of the Commission of Inquiry into the attempted March 2020 electoral fraud, to give testimony. I was at Ashmin building, headquarter for the certification of SOPs, and at press conferences in a private capacity.

I spent my own personal resources for the exercise. I had no personal vested interest other than to see democracy protected and prevailed the will of the voters respected. I took no political side and acted objectively and professionally at all times in my reporting for the media. At times, I was with my New York press pass prominently displayed and other times I did not show it in order to gain entrance at Ashmin. The media was not given full access to Ashmin at all times.

I was in the room when Owen Arthur offered his observer credential ID to the Foreign Minister Cummings. I was at Ashmin daily and saw several political figures, such as Jagdeo, Irfaan, Anil, Seeraj, Donald, Sanjay Datadin, Zulfi, among others, came and left on various days and times. I saw Sase Singh, Nalini Singh, Dr. Vindya, Azeena Baksh, Priya Manickchand, Rosalinda Rasool, Susan Rodrigues, Peter Ramsaroop, Gerry Gouveia, Kit Nascimento, Norman McLean, Ramesh Dookhoo, among several others (including diplomats) inside the certification room. Some of these individuals gave testimony and others, I presume, will follow.

I was non-committal in giving testimony in COI as I told the government official. Subsequently, several other prominent individuals, including lawyers and politicians and the crème la crème of Guyanese society and the diaspora queried why I have not given testimony on the attempted fraud. So many place hopes on me. So many friends reprimanded or nudged me to give testimony on my eyewitness accounts and what I knew of the fraud. Also, an associate of GECOM not presently in Guyana, who in my view was primarily responsible for political change in Guyana, the key figure for the change in government, whose name shall remain anonymous, also rang me two days ago saying he had not seen any testimony from me on the attempted fraud and was wondering why I am not appearing before the commission. He said he watched all the testimonies and believe I should also have on the record my observations while commending my role in exposing fraud and helping to bring political change in my homeland.

I did not submit my name as a witness to the COI even though I was at Ashmin daily. I was not approached by the commission to give statements of what I saw. No other government official or GECOM affiliates implored me to give testimony. It would not be wise for me to give testimony as I cannot divulge confidential information revealed to me by inside sources on the fraud. My testimony could jeopardize lives and or their jobs, something I would never do as the individuals involved were responsible for the political change that Guyana experienced never mind that their role was not recognized. And what I observed was already captured in testimony, with critical exceptions, by several others including Sase Singh, Rosalinda Rasul, Josh Kanhai, etc. What was not revealed were the machinations behind the scene, and who, it was believed, were calling the shots, how the fraud was planned, and how it would be executed, and the planned swearing in of the President.

I knew a lot about the attempted fraud, every step that was going to be taken by some GECOM officials on instructions or coercion from a certain political party, directives that would be issued, the planned swearing in, etc., well ahead before they were executed. I knew ahead of time the planned changes of SOP vote counts and how it would happen, the staged sicknesses of GECOM staff and their planned feints, the electricity blackout, the attempted manipulation of computer data, among so many other shenanigans, skullduggery, and malpractices. I also knew of the planned court cases that would be filed and the rulings long before they latter were delivered. I was there during the isolation of Chair Claudette Singh and witnessed the presence of security blocking her entrance as well as when she was escorted out the building. Much was revealed to me about the entire affair. I prefer to maintain public silence on that episode to protect reputations and identities.

What surprised me was that none of the then opposition parties was aware, ahead of time, what would transpire at the Ashmin building and GECOM central office during the SOP certification — how fraud would be perpetrated, undertaken or implemented. Their intelligence was weak or poor on what was planned by another side. I, myself, didn’t know how the fraud would be foisted until information was passed on to me from a reliable confidential source. Only he, an East Coast businessman, and I knew of planned fraudulent acts and how they would be implemented. He obtained information that was passed on to me. We took deterrent actions to save democracy. In fact, it was he who prevailed on me to expose the fraud. He would call at odd hours of the night waking me up with latest information on planned fraudulent acts. He spent enormous personal resources to obtain information that was passed on to me in utmost confidence with a commitment never to reveal names and how the information was obtained. I have honoured his request thus far. Lives could be at risk. I promised to protect the various sources, and I never revealed their names to anyone until two days ago when I told my wife about a few individuals who were involved in certification of SOPs and the recount and change in administration. No political figure was among those who saved democracy. A deceased legal luminary also played a critical role in the outcome.

My wife too, like me, has sworn secrecy to the names at GECOM and the businessman and of involved in combating fraud. To give public testimony at COI may require divulging secrecies and names of individuals whose employment, if not also lives, would be in danger. So I decided in the best interest of their lives and also what obtained on August 2, 2020, to remain quiet. One other person knows almost everything I know about the planned fraud. We shared information and collaborated in deterring the fraud our own way in confidence. He spent a lot of money to protect democracy and to bring about a change in administration. His name shall be anonymous. He said, and repeated two days ago, that he never told anyone what we did, not even his wife. Regrettably, he claims he was repeatedly approached since the change in administration to give bribes to get contracts. He said he refused.

He is a principled businessman and is known by Ministers and bureaucrats for his honesty and for not offering bribes. And as a result of his integrity and decency, the amount of government contracts he gets is less than what he had under the coalition. So a change in Administration did not benefit him financially. But country comes first for him and for me also. I have not benefit from my political and financial sacrifices for nation and for democracy. He sacrificed business and wealth to protect democracy. I know of no other business person who did same. I will attribute his contribution as key for protecting the outcome of the vote of March 2, 2020 and of preventing the installation of a regime from fraud. He would be number two or three on the list who saved democracy. The GECOM associate is the number one person responsible for steering the fraud and the change in administration. Others also played important roles — ballot box watchers, diplomats, polling agents, etc. The USA government sealed the deal. None of the individuals involved in political change were ever remunerated or received significant honours for their contributions to protect democracy and or for the change in government; promises made were not honoured. I salute those who contributed to the struggle to respect the will of the voters. For those who testify on the attempted fraud, I commend you for your courage.

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram