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Elections
Kaieteur News – The noises of elections are almost over with campaigning soon to be over, in this first phase of General and Regional Elections of 2025. Phase II is the actual voting process, where the power of the people gets its fullest expression. In what is called a democracy, and insisted to be a free and fair process, we at this paper take the position that voting must be a peaceful and orderly matter. That the elections will be an honest process, in the best sense of the word. In view of some of the glaring developments that have occurred, there is doubt about how honest September 1st will be. Phase III then comes into play with all eyes and minds on the tabulating process, involving pollsters, party agents, and E-Day staff. From hard, unsparing experience, everything has to be watched. From moving the ballot boxes to the movement of votes from remote areas of Guyana. It would be inspiring for Guyanese to be able to say that the 2025 elections were smooth, all the moving parts came together, and performed credibly.
The forecast is not encouraging, with the three political parties that are generating the most interest all believing that they have a chance to win. In such an unhealthy situation, the sense is of more than elections bragging that is at work. The concern is who would be ready to stepdown from their high expectations, learn to lick their wounds? The history of elections in Guyana stands as an ugly chapter repeated over and over, with seemingly little learned. In the last few months, there has been one dispute after another, with passions running high and stormy discussions being part of the elections’ fabric. There have been rumblings from those in the contest that arrangements are in place to cheat them of victory, though roadblocks erected, with the intent of slowing them down or tripping them up. The international community has articulated some concerns, gone on record with what questions the levelness of the elections playing field. The concern that we have is that there is a huge contingent of respected international observer missions, and still some of the unfortunate developments have occurred, with seeming abandon, almost disdain.
There is much at stake in this year’s elections. Huge amounts of money from oil production, and though oil prices have slumped in recent times, every single political party that is participating in Monday’s elections wants to wrap their hands around the billions. We repeat, it would be extremely difficult for those who lose to take it sitting down, especially if there is the belief, from reports and facts on the ground, that a substantial amount of cheating has happened. When all of this is taken into consideration, there is some pessimism that the post elections voting atmosphere will be steady. It is already a nervy time, with extra shopping for basic food items in evidence, and some degree of tenseness in the air, since the beginning the final week to September 1st. It will only get thicker, as Monday’s hours tick away. It is helpful that a national holiday has been declared for voting on E-Day, and the children are off from school for another week.
The sooner that the tabulating and signing off can all be finished, the better it would be things to return to some state of normalcy here. The question is whether Guyanese have the maturity for that to happen, or the integrity to assure a fair process, and then do their best to deliver on that, what all cheer with confidence. Given that this year’s elections have transformed into a matter of life and death, it is trying not to look at all of this with a critical eye. Trinidad and Tobago just held national elections, and the entire process was over in less than 24 hours. Guyana is yet to read that book, and the hope is that year, there will be an exception. The international observer missions have their work cut out for them. How much they and the foreign embassies will get involved, with the US leading, remains to be seen. We hope for fair processes, something that can be trusted by all involved.
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