Our vigilance to prevent another electoral fiasco is an important modus operandi

Apr 10, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Mainstream media recently carried letters to the editor headlined:

‘GECOM has once again contrived to appoint a PPPC preferred candidate to a senior position’.

Another stated; ‘Alexander accuses GECOM of contriving to appoint a PPPC preferred candidate to position of DCEO’

In both instances, the words ‘contrive’ and ‘preferred’ were repeatedly used to convey an untruthful message that the chairperson at GECOM is complicit to decisions that are partial and prejudicial. The author of the letter is APNU+AFC GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander.

In the course of recent interviews to determine the most suitable applicant for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) at GECOM, one thing became certain, there was no need to find an algorithmic way of working out who was the preferred candidate for the opposition commissioners, and in order to achieve that objective they sought to disparage the professionalism of Mr Aneal Giddings and at the same time ‘big up’ the credentials of their preferred candidate.

The Opposition commissioners conveniently ignored the travesty they committed when they gave a free pass to Ms. Roxanne Meyers, who did not possess the necessary years of experience at GECOM to perform the functions of a DCEO.

In an effort to play down their misdeed, Opposition commissioners now pontificate sanctimoniously, ‘two wrongs don’t make a right!’

It appears that because the three PPPC GECOM Commissioners disagreed with the three Opposition commissioners on how to weigh and prioritise different values in respect to democracy, transparency, accountability and good governance, they are accused along with the chairman of ‘contriving’ to frustrate the wishes/demands of the Opposition commissioners on key issues at GECOM.

The Opposition commissioners have failed to reconcile their understanding of how to conduct an unfair election with how a free and fair election ought to be conducted. Small wonder why their preferred candidate for the post of DCEO could not explain what ought NOT to occur at a free and fair election.

Rather than trying to learn from new perspectives thrown up from past electoral experiences that may otherwise help them, Opposition commissioners prefer to pay attention to minutiae and un-implementable practices which, if implemented, would cause great harm to a free and fair electoral process. Our mandate is to prevent that from happening.

Our vigilance to prevent another electoral fiasco is an important modus operandi we must constantly exercise for our own survival as a proud democratic nation, unlike the fanciful endeavours of the political Opposition whose attempt to steal the results of the 2020 election would have left Guyana a failed and pariah state with its populace unprotected from the vagaries of this world.

From the antics performed by Opposition members at GECOM it is clear that there is no space to open their minds to a more transparent and democratic approach to elections.

The PPPC Commissioners prefer change and innovation to the status quo ante but regrettably, this is seen by Messers VA, CB & DT as support for ‘contrived decisions’ and decisions based on ‘gymnastics.’

Mr Alexander and company’s rejection to find approaches that better allow our competing interests and values to be reconciled has proven untenable. The more contextual knowledge and supportive approaches both sides share on the ways and means of achieving a free and fair election, the more it will be easier to come to wise decisions that reinforces the democratic process in general and a free and fair election in particular.

Since the Opposition commissioners have opted to jettison that approach, differences in perspective turn into standoffs resulting in impasse where each side employs different standards of good reasoning, and criticize each other for failing to meet standards viewed from each other’s perspective.

‘Mal-intended’ inferences made principally by Opposition commissioners, only serve to translate simplistic thoughts to surreal ones void of enriching the exchange of views on important matters which the Guyanese people expect GECOM to address, with a sense of urgency and tolerance with the main objective being free and fair elections.

Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee

APNU+AFC GECOM, DCEO, The Opposition commissioners

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Our vigilance to prevent another electoral fiasco is an important modus operandi

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