Dear editor,
IT was American Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who coined the infamous quote, “Whom the Gods would destroy they first make them mad.”

This quote quite frequently reverberated my teenaged eardrums in heated political debates, but the meaning evaded my developing cerebral cortex; this would, however, change. No sooner had I taken the sacred Hippocratic Oath when the penny dropped. Now armed with the post-nominal MBBS, my repertoire of medical diagnoses was quite extensive. Neurosyphilis, by now considered the rare, weird and wonderful was a part of my armoury of sophisticated medical jargon to confusticate the honorary doctors and those masquerading with fake Phds.

You see, neurosyphilis develops from primary syphilis and is characterised by irrational behaviour. It is believed that it afflicted many famous or infamous leaders, depending on which retrospective lens you choose to use. Napoleon, Hitler and Al Capone counted in that disreputable black book. Now older and university wiser, I was on my way to deciphering Mr. Longfellow’s discombobulating quote. You see by now, I was very much aware of the fact that in that tragic period, most medical ailments were treated with bloodletting since antibiotics were still part of the mysterious unknowns. Syphilis was no exemption from this haemorrhagic  habit. As a result those afflicted counted their years without adequate treatment to the inevitable neurosyphilis, which is characterised by hyperactive dementia.

The local vernacular was not that kind as the disparaging and painfully discriminatory word “mad” was used. It is this tragic end that awaited these powerful leaders, as neurosyphilis reduced them to irrational “mad men” and ultimately forfeiture of power.

Presently in Guyana, this 19th century malady seems to be making a concerning resurgence in the rich and famous. Why should such a malady revisit us when we are blessed with powerful Treponema Pallidum Spirochete killing penicillins antibiotics? I am uncertain and do recognise that I may very well be wrong in my conclusion; hence, I will share the evidence with you to provide that second opinion.

A few days ago Gerry Gouveia, the Chairman of the PSC, recently renamed the, Private Sanctions Commission, had this to say about national recount, “Plain and simple. Count every single vote in every box in every single region in a transparent manner under the supervision of international and local observers.” So the Madam Chairperson of GECOM on hearing this responded “We heard you Gerry. We will recount from Region One-10, just as you instructed us.” Gerry on receiving news of the Madam Chairperson’s plans rushed out on his verandah and shouted, “That’s an entire waste of time. Count only Region Four.” You see for centuries Gerry was crying to all things breathing, even the fishes, that all votes should be valued and should be counted. As a result, the question on the lips of all perplexed followers of this election is, what motivated this irrational and seismic change in Gerry’s position? Is our stalwart Gerry afflicted with neurosyphillis?

This case is somewhat intriguing and involves “Scottish blood” Bryan Mac Intosh, the de facto leader of Guardians of Democracy. Mind you, the title is a tragic misnomer, since they were not guarding democracy, they were foolishly guarding a few ballot boxes. Anyway, over the past few weeks, Bryan was drinking the PPP’s soup faster than Starving Marvin of South Park. He talked all things PPP. He breathed all things PPP. He slept on the streets with the deadly Coronavirus for the PPP. Only Monday he was a one-man protest on the desolate streets fighting for democracy for the PPP. For him, Bharrat was god and Irfaan his deputy. Anil was the legal adviser to the gods. All that was left for this loyal subject to reaffirm his allegiance to the gods was to donate both his kidneys. Then shockingly, 15 minutes after he pledged this allegiance he recorded a new video where he was blasphemously cursing the gods, reducing them to male and female genitalia. He disparagingly accused the god of sitting on the lap of his legal adviser. Then he did the ultimate. He denigrated the sacred cup. The masses were astonished, so too were the gods. No one saw it coming. Not even the great Nostradamus could have predicted this Shakespearean drama. What could have triggered this earth-shattering shift in Bryan’s position? Are we looking at a second suspected case of neurosyphillis?

This one takes the cake and unsurprisingly involved the PPP GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, who I do respectfully refer to as “suit guy,” since a suit is his permanent attire even when the temperatures are above 40 degrees Celsius.

Guyana is not exempted from the deadly COVID-19 as so far it has left five fatalities in its wake. PAHO recognised the danger and scared the hell out of our Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence by informing her that there can be as much as 20,000 deaths if she does not lockdown the country. You see the Honourable Minister was ambivalent about doing so, being all too aware of the economic, social and psychological consequences, but after being provided with those scary numbers she recognised and took her duty of care to us seriously. As a result, Guyana was placed under lockdown where only police, thieves and COVID-19 roam our streets. This coincidentally was the very day GECOM agreed to do a recount. “Suit guy,” looking dapper in his suit in 40 degrees butter-melting and brain-frying  temperatures, opined at an invited interview that he is “very suspicious” of the lockdown.
He questioned why now and not later. Seriously “suit guy”? You are surprised when the entire world is under lock and key and Guyana belatedly joining them? I am completely gobsmacked with “suit guy’s” assertion and I’m struggling to determine whether he has just fried all his brain in the heat of the sun, whether he is just downright foolish or if he may be our third suspected case of neurosyphillis?

So here we have three cases, three diagnostic enigmas. Are they the psychological consequences of the lockdown? Are they cases of neurosyphillis? Or are they unfortunate cases resulting from Bharrat providing conflicting and inconsistent instructions?

Regards
Dr. Mark Devonish

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

Dear Editor
PRESIDENT David Granger continues to be vindicated by the courts. His application of the laws of Guyana in the exercise of his function as President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana cannot be questioned.

The President has at all times said that he respects the Constitution of Guyana, will abide by rulings of the court and adhere to the decisions of the elections commission. Adherence to the rule of law, a concept that may be foreign in some quarters of the opposition, has been at the forefront of President Granger’s leadership. The constitution of Guyana remains sacrosanct and has been instructive during this difficult period.

It is important to extract that since the passage of the no-confidence motion of December 21, 2018, there has been a flurry of legal action and legitimate challenges, but the President continues to be guided by the constitution. He complies fully with rulings of the courts. The opposition in its heyday attempted to corrupt the court system by interfering in its jurisdiction to suit its purpose; these distant memories are eclipsed by the oath taken by the APNU+AFC coalition government and its adherence to the rule of law.

It is President Granger who expressed the position that the government as any other entity, and more so representing the interests of citizens who voted the coalition into office, has a right to enquire about the legitimacy of the vote carried by Mr Charandass Persaud. The government exercised its legitimate inquiry all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and abided by the decision of the regional court which said that the vote was validly passed.

It is President David Granger who consulted with the leader of the opposition in his constitutional capacity to appoint a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission in fulfilment of the ruling of the CCJ to ensure the delivery of credible General and Regional Elections.

It is President David Granger who gave his unreserved commitment to ensure that the GECOM was given all necessary financial allocations to conduct its work to ensure it can deliver credible elections. The President ensured that at all material times the commission was supported. Notably, the opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) systematically stymied the work of the commission by frustrating its efforts to sanitise the Official List of Electors (OLE) through the house-to-house registration process. It was because of the tantrums thrown by the opposition that that process was abruptly ended.

It was President David Granger, who, having been advised by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, dissolved Parliament and declared March 2, 2020, as the date for the General and Regional Elections. The PPP in its familiar fashion attempted to hijack our democracy by facilitating a bloated list and making wild accusations through out the tabulation process.

It was President David Granger who invited the CARICOM delegation to observe under the consideration of the constitutional agency GECOM, the recount of the General and Regional Elections. The President sought calm while the hooligans of the PPP threatened to destabilise our nation, sowing seeds of discord and damaging the property of the state which benefits all Guyanese.

It was President David Granger who respected the legal challenge to the constitutionality of the CARICOM initiative and awaited the determination of the courts. The court has ruled and like the rest of the country, President David Granger joins all Guyanese in awaiting the Elections Commission to chart the course forward.

Guyanese must continue to reject the politics of division peddled by the PPP and salute the astute leadership of David Granger and the APNU+AFC coalition as we fight against the lawless and indecent PPP which has shown its colours. Let us fight the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and reject the bad politics of the PPP as we build one Guyana. The Decade of Development is upon us.

Regards
The Guyana Youth and Student Movement
Congress Place, Sophia

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

Dear Editor
THERE’s a saying that life can only be lived forward but understood backwards. On March 10, 2020, one day before the High Court was set to rule on the injunction brought before it by Mr Anil Nandlall’s former driver, the now-deceased Mr Reeaz Holladar committed suicide. I can only imagine how distraught and hurt his wife, children and family must feel.

Since the free and fair elections conducted on March 2, 2020, the PPP/C has tried several tactics to frustrate the work of GECOM aimed at blocking GECOM from making a final declaration and ultimately the swearing in of President Granger. The first set of attempts to frustrate the work of GECOM included efforts to sabotage the electoral process. For example, it is alleged and there is supporting evidence showing that the PPP/C attempted to insert fake SOPs into the tabulation of votes by GECOM. Other examples include encouraging multiple voting and vote-buying as far as Whitewater Creek Primary School in Region One and Christiansburg in Linden.

The second category of efforts to sabotage GECOM included a physical assault on the GECOM Command Centre, threats on the life and person of GECOM’s Chairperson, its CEO and several other officials. After it didn’t get its way, the PPP/C decided to use Guyana’s court system to frustrate the work of GECOM. All this time, the PPP/C kept sharing threats of sanctions and the like made by a handful of politicians in the USA. Several politicians are included in a long list of persons and organisations Mercury Public Affairs lobbied on behalf of the PPP/C. (Side note: readers should understand what lobbying is).

On March 8, 2020, Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, ruling on the Holladar injunction, ordered that the tabulation of votes for District Four ought to continue or restart. This was undertaken and completed by GECOM in the presence of a minimum of two representatives from each political party and other accredited officials. Again, because the final figures showed that APNU+AFC received the majority of votes, the PPP/C did their best to discredit the tabulation exercise.

Notwithstanding this, President Granger extended a hand of harmony on March 10, 2020, by publicly suggesting that he, as well as the coalition, would countenance a recount of all 10 electoral districts in keeping with the constitution, electoral laws and statutory responsibilities of GECOM.

Fast forward to April 3, 2020, when the Chairperson of GECOM and the commission proper, agreed to a national recount commencing with District One. One day before taking this decision, Gerry Gouveia, Chairman for life of the Private Sector Commission it seems, wrote to the Organisation of American States (OAS), the same OAS that was responsible for organising a coup in Bolivia resulting in theft of the elections from the people of Bolivia and incumbent Eva Morales led Government of Bolivia. Immediately after GECOM took the decision for a national recount, the PPP began making new requests which were outside of its agreement with GECOM. To date, these requests have been: (1) invite the OAS to overlook the recount, (2) invite the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an organ of the OAS and (3) request that the tabulation exercise is televised nationally.

When the current Chairperson of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Barbados mentioned that there are forces that do not want a recount, I presume she had already connected the dots and determined which party was frustrating the work of GECOM and possibly the reasons they have been engaged in such measures some two years before the March 2, 2020 elections.

 Regards
R. Chung-A-On

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

In a statement Prime Minister Nagamootoo said it was with deep sadness that we learned about the death of Chand, who peacefully passed away in Cuba where he was receiving medical attention. “With his death, Guyana has lost an outstanding champion of the working class, more particularly sugar workers,” the PM said. He added that the late Komal Chand last held the post of President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), and Vice-President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). A former Member of Parliament, he has been a member of the Central Committee of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In recognition of his role as a foremost labour leader, he was the recipient of the third highest national award, Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH). “I express deepest sympathies at the passing of Komal Chand, and send sincere condolences to his sorrowing wife and children, and the rest of his family. I also offer regrets at the “death of a comrade” to the leadership and members of GAWU, FITUG and the PPP,” Nagamootoo said. He said on a personal note, his relationship with Komal Chand went back to the mid-sixties when they both served in the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) and, later in the PPP’s leadership. Nagamootoo said for over 50 years, Komal has been a consistent fighter for political and industrial democracy and for social rights of working people. “He has always advocated trade union and national unity, and inclusive governance. He stood tall and courageous against corruption and mis-management, even when he had courted the disfavour of his own comrades.”

“Komal Chand was an avowed Marxist-Leninist in the PPP’s leadership. Besides, he was also a staunch anti-imperialist whose record of struggles includes opposition to the war of aggression in Vietnam, Apartheid in South Africa and the blockade of Cuba. He was on picket lines and vigils in protest against the overthrow of the lawful Allende Government in Chile, and against the invasion of tiny Grenada. I will always remember Komal Chand as a down-to-earth and modest, grassroots leader. He was full of passion for the just causes that he embraced but gentle in his disposition towards all who knew him,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said. He added that it would be an understatement to say that Guyana’s labour hero, Komal Chand, will be missed by the trade union movement and by the Guyanese working people.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Protection said Chand’s death “marks a tremendous loss to trade union activism in Guyana.” The ministry noted that he dedicated his career to fighting for the protection and rights of workers in the sugar, rice and numerous other industries in Guyana.

Chand served as President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and was also as a Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party. He was known for his provision of representation at “bilateral, conciliation and arbitration levels, these were evidenced by the contents of the scores of collective labour agreements he concluded throughout his career,” the release stated.

The release also described Chand as a “tireless fighter and devoted servant to the working class. – never shrinking from the opportunity to call out inequity where he saw it or give voice to the voiceless when he could.  He was a gifted negotiator and provided representation at bilateral, conciliation and arbitration levels, these were evidenced by the contents of the scores of collective labour agreements he concluded throughout his career.” The Social Protection Ministry extended it condolences to Chand’s family.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

Dear Editor,
THE latest ruling from the Guyana Court of Appeal clears the way for final resolution of our electoral uncertainty, and not a moment too soon. GECOM and the responsible officials must put aside the temptation to fall into petty disputes and proceed to the recount with all haste. It is of the utmost importance that Guyana have its new, legitimate administration in place, regardless of who the victor is.

Why? Because Guyana is being buffeted by unprecedented forces of global instability. The coronavirus is plodding unrelentingly through our communities. Far worse is to come. Two things will be vital for Guyana to minimise the brutal impact of the virus: a legitimate, functioning government and the support of international aid. At the moment, we have neither.

The experience of other nations, most far more wealthy and organised than Guyana, shows clearly that a strong government is needed to make and enforce the rules for halting the virus’ spread. After a month without a clear resolution to our electoral squabbles, Guyana is losing valuable time and energy that could be directed towards preparing for the virus. We are also losing opportunities to redirect our new state resources (ie our oil revenues) to meet these ends.

Many countries are also having necessary funding, supplies and medical equipment furnished by international aid. Yet Guyana did not make the cut for the World Bank’s first round of aid operations. I suspect that this snub may well be because of our highly publicised political troubles. While other nations have advanced preparations and asked for support, we appear to outsiders to be a troubled child in the international political community – little wonder we lost our place in the queue.

A speedy resolution to our elections and the formation of a new government is therefore critical. The new administration should look to quickly enact clear directives such as the testing and social-distancing measures seen in other nations. It must also look to international aid for some of the medical equipment and supplies that will be needed to care for Guyana’s sick as infection rates start to soar. Getting that aid should be easier once Guyana’s reputation is improved.

A new government can also begin to utilise our secret weapon — oil revenues. I have been surprised by the lack of discussions around this point. Many nations are scrambling for funding in order to prop up businesses, households and healthcare systems. Guyana recently received over US$50 million from our first lift of oil alone, with more on the way! Those revenues can and should be redirected via emergency decrees to provide relief for citizens, buy medical equipment such as masks and ventilators and fund care for infected Guyanese.

This political battle could not have come at a worse time. Now we have been caught out by the onset of a global pandemic. Let us put the elections to rest.

Regards
Gregory Lynch

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

…commission to return today to further deliberate on proposal

By Svetlana Marshall

CHIEF Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield, in his draft operational plan for a national recount, has indicated that the process would take 156 days –- a proposal which has been rejected, in part, by opposition-nominated commissioners.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), headed by Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, was presented with the draft operational plan on Wednesday, and while the opposition-nominated commissioners have objected to the proposed timeframe, the draft work-plan, the Guyana Chronicle was told, is in keeping with decisions of the commission.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, GECOM’s Public Relation Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward indicated that the chief elections officer drafted the plan based on the approved decisions of the commission. Importantly, she said the draft operational plan for a national recount of all the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections was presented to the commission for its consideration, during which amendments could be made.

“Though cognisant that the 156 days proposed for the activity may be quite a lengthy duration in the present circumstance, the secretariat had to consider matters of law in relation to the procedures to conduct a recount; approved decisions of the commission and the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting the health situation of the population,” Ward later explained in a press statement.

In drafting the plan, Ward said, the CEO took into consideration the various requests tabled by the commission that would allow the process to be as transparent as possible. “…[The] secretariat considered the request by the commission for each ballot to be projected on screen, examination of the contents of the ballot box i.e., ascertaining the number of electors on the list, the number of electors who voted, counting votes cast for both General and Regional Elections and validation of spoilt, questioned and rejected ballots,” she explained.

Based on those and other factors, the CEO estimated that it will take approximately two hours to count one ballot box. In his proposed workplan, he suggested that there be a total of three work stations operating simultaneously for a period of 10 hours daily (9:00hrs – 19:00hrs) at a central location. There are a total of 2,339 ballot boxes; however, the number of ballots in each box varies based on the voting population of each area. These are the factors that led him to arrive at the 156- day proposed plan.

Notwithstanding the CEO’s line of reasoning, opposition-nominated Commissioner Robeson Benn expressed major objection shortly after the meeting of the commission ended.
“I am telling you, fundamentally, in no way, shape or form, should we have been provided with a document, which gives that type of duration,” Benn told reporters outside of GECOM’s headquarters on Wednesday.

While the CEO has said that the draft operational plan was drafted based on the decisions of the commission, Benn believes that the commission’s instructions have been misinterpreted by GECOM’s secretariat. “I think we are still in the realm of being misled, misinterpreted and that the secretariat itself is not being helpful,” he contended, noting that a “simple recount” should not take 156 days to execute.

His colleague Sase Gunraj also expressed concern over the timeframe proposed, but said the commission has committed to having the proposal amended. “I can confirm that the plan envisages completion in 156 days, and I would want to reject that out of hand. This nation cannot survive a 156-day wait, but like I said we intend to rework it,” he told reporters.
From his point of view, the national recount should take one week to execute. “This has to be done in a matter of days, days; this country has waited long enough,” he lamented, noting that it could be accomplished if the recount is diligently executed.

Unethical

Ward, however, said GECOM’s secretariat finds the position taken by the commissioners unethical. “The secretariat finds the comments by the commissioners absurd, distasteful and unethical, particularly since they are aware that the proposal considered the decisions of the commission and its content is still being discussed for finalisation,” Ward said.
While the opposition-nominated commissioners stated their objection, government-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander declined to divulge critical information about the plan on the grounds that it is under discussion. “Commissioner Gunraj has asked for time to study and rework the plan. In that context, I think as a matter of principle that we shouldn’t discuss that plan; we should allow the system to work,” he said when approached by reporters.

Pressed for answers, Alexander said the operational plan is simply a draft tabled for discussion. “Nothing in the plan is final. It is under discussion,” he emphasized.
Alexander declined to indicate whether he believes the timeframe given is reasonable but said, “The man did not pick 156 out of the air. He would have had some basis on which he arrived at 156. The first instance, he determined how long it takes to count a box, that is his basis.” The commission will meet today at 09:00hrs to continue deliberation on the proposed operational plan for the national recount.

Clear directions

The CEO drafted the operational plan after receiving clarity from the commission on Monday. When the decision was taken by the commission last Friday (April 3) to proceed with the national recount, Lowenfield had asked for clear directions on the process to be employed. It was based on those directions,that he drafted the plan.

Some of the core issues included the conduct of the recount, the extent at which it will be carried out and the role of the commission in resolution of disputes arising out of the process. The commission also considered the reporting mechanism that would be employed following the tabulation of votes at the level of the polling station. In normal circumstances, information generated is recorded on Statements of Poll (SoP) following the tabulation of the ballots; however, in this case, the information would be recorded on a document with features similar to that of a SoP.

Given that the modalities are still being worked out, commission has not approved a commencement date; however, it has indicated that the recounting of votes cast would be conducted in chronological order, that is, from Region One to Region 10.

GECOM took a decision to facilitate a national recount after it was alleged that the tabulation of SOPs in Region Four –- the country’s largest voting bloc –- was flawed.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

…Moore’s lawyers warn against CARICOM validating elections

By Svetlana Marshall

DESCRIBING it as a landmark ruling, the battery of lawyers representing Ulita Moore, on Tuesday, said the Court of Appeal’s decision and consequential orders have made it clear that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) cannot delegate its supervisory functions to any other authority regardless of the circumstances.

The Court of Appeal has ruled that only GECOM can supervise election in Guyana or any aspect of it, as established in the Articles 62 and 162 of the Constitution of Guyana. “…it would be unconstitutional for the Guyana Elections Commission to abdicate or delegate its supervisory function over the election process, more particularly the recount of ballots cast at the March 2 elections,” the Appellate Court said on Tuesday as it handed down consequential orders following Sunday’s decision in the case – Ulita Moore v Bharrat Jagdeo and others.

Moore, a private citizen, moved to the High Court on March 17 to block a decision by the elections commission to have a high-level Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team supervise a national recount of all the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections based on an agreement between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo. And while the Full Court had ruled that the High Court had not jurisdiction to determine whether GECOM had acted outside of its constitutional powers when it acceded to the agreement, the Appellate Court set aside that decision. It went one step further and ruled that any agreement that usurps the constitutional powers of GECOM to supervise elections in Guyana would be unconstitutional.

Moore was represented by Grenadian Queen Counsel, Dr. Francis Alexis, Attorneys-at-Law, John Jeremie S.C., Keith Scotland out of Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana’s Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde, and Attorney-at-law, Mayo Robertson.
Robertson, moments after the Appellate Court issued the consequential orders, told the Guyana Chronicle that going forward, GECOM’s decisions and actions must “pass constitutional muster.”

“Our courts have demonstrated that even when the President, the opposition leader and CARICOM Heads agree on a course of action, that the courts, as guardians of the constitution, will scrutinise to ensure compliance with our constitution,” the legal counsel said.

Robertson said the individuals and authorities who have sought to “bully and intimidate” GECOM based on their political agenda, must take note that citizens of Guyana have access to the courts. Private parties, he emphasised, cannot agree to circumvent the Constitution – the supreme law of the land.

“No matter how urgent the matter is, an unconstitutional solution does not serve the interests of the people of Guyana,” Robertson told this newspaper.

Senior Counsel Jeremie, who had made his court appearance via Skype, in an online interview with the Guyana Chronicle said his client – Moore – has been vindicated.
“Indeed it is a vindication of the principle that the independent institutions of Guyana can solve all of the difficulties of the Guyanese people. That is what my client felt and that is what the Court of Appeal has held,” the Trinidadian senior counsel said.

Senior Counsel Forde, in echoing similar sentiments, said the Appellate Court clarified the Constitution and the electoral laws of the country to the extent that the elections commission cannot abdicate or delegate any of its supervisory functions to any other authority.

“It indicates clearly that the agreement entered into by the leader of the opposition and the President is unconstitutional. The Court of Appeal rejected the position of the leader of opposition, represented by Mr. Anil Nandlall and Mr. Douglas Mendes, that the agreement was constitutional and that the High Court could not exercise its jurisdiction to examine any unconstitutionality on the part of GECOM…” Forde told this newspaper.

In the High Court, Full Court and Appeal Court, Nandlall and Mendes had argued that Moore’s challenge to GECOM’s decision to facilitate a recount under the supervision of CARICOM could only be adjudicated through an elections petition. But the Court of Appeal ruled that the High Court has jurisdiction to determine if such agreement fell within the perimeters of the Constitution. On Sunday, it ruled that any such agreement was unconstitutional – a position it reinforced on Tuesday.

In a letter to the Court on Monday, Moore’s lawyers had asked that the interim orders granted by High Court Judge, Franklin Holder, be restored having been discharged by the Full Court. The Appellate Court declined to grant such order.

“The interim orders were not restored because the Court of Appeal granted final relief in the matter. The interim orders were only necessary to stop GECOM from acting on the agreement which we contended was unconstitutional,” the senior counsel explained.

He further explained that the Appellate Court, having determined that the agreement was unconstitutional, in effect, granted Moore’s relief, and as such there was no need for interim orders.

Forde said it is his expectation that GECOM will adhere to the ruling of the Appellate Court, even as he expressed concerned over intentions to have CARICOM validate the recount process this time around.

When the elections commission last met on Monday, Government nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, told reporters that the elections commission has a high preference for CARICOM’s involvement in the electoral process. “We have decided today that our preference, in terms of an external body to give some validation, is CARICOM,” Alexander told reporters. According to him, the CARICOM arrangement would differ from the observatory roles of Elections Observation Missions. “The others were never for validation; the others were observers. CARICOM came into the process with a particular role,” Alexander said.

But the senior counsel said only GECOM can validate elections in Guyana. “Validation is a matter for the elections commission because that forms part of GECOM’s responsibility… It has to be GECOM validating the electoral process,” Forde emphasised.

He said GECOM, as established by the Appellate Court, must adhere to the Constitution and electoral laws of the country.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_04_09_2020

–in the whole story of Elections 2020

Dear Editor,

THIS letter is being written shortly after learning that GECOM has suspended the examination and counting of the ballots of our March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The reason for this unhappy suspension is the discovery of a secret early-morning meeting at the Tabulation Department of the the Arthur Chung Convention Centre among PPP agents, Frank Anthony, Sasenarine Singh and two others, and GECOM Information Technology Superviser, Aneal Giddings and his Deputy.

It will be inappropriate for me to comment on the likely result of an investigation into the clearly-unauthorised and highly-suspicious gathering, except to say that the meeting of these two groups in secret is highly improper, and should raise alarm bells and a red flag. Add this to the strange behaviour of Mr. Trevon Harris, Returning Officer, Region 1, who is known by the community to be a Guyanese of mixed ancestry whose loyalty is to a certain political party, refused to provide GECOM with his Region’s Polling Book.

His alleged statement that he left GECOM, not knowing when, speaks volumes, and to have important election documents not being in the proper place, is, at best, mysterious or unacceptable. I expect that by now, this gentleman, Mr. Trevon Harris, may or may not recall his association or visits to places linked to the PPP.

As a concerned citizen, I expect to hear volumes from those who publicly stated that the rigging in these Elections were the worst ever in our history. To that, I say I pity those who know not that they know not, or have erased from their memories. Beginning with 1961, 1992, 1997, 2001, and 2005, all of these elections were characterised by events that qualify to be termed ‘rigged’. Let them speak now or hereafter hold their peace.

Next, those who have appealed to the OAS, obviously, these folks neither understand nor can appreciate that the credibility and impartiality of the OAS is currently being called into question. And those of us who have been part of Elections since the early 50s have reason to believe that the North-West incident, and the secret meeting are but the tip of an iceberg.

From the fulminations of Mr. Anil Nandall and the PPP Commissioners at GECOM, it is crystal clear that the PPP hierarchy is not interested in the whole story of Elections 2020. Let us hear from a certain diplomat and those experts. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th United States President: To sin by silence when they should protest make cowards of men.”

Regards,
Hamilton Green

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_05_08_2020

Dear Editor,
THE President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Statesman that he is, David Arthur Granger unequivocally stated that he would accept the results of the recount period. Adhering to the law, there should never have been a recount in the first place, but he agreed.

Is it surprising, however, that the leader of the Opposition; he who has been screaming about transparency all the time, did not join with the President to unequivocally agree to accept the results. The problem, though, is that the PPP and their sycophants do not really care for a recount; no, they do not. They know that a recount would expose all their underhandedness, and prove what has been said all along, that the PPP not only tried to rig this election, but they have rigged prior elections, and of course, with the assistance of the ‘rags’ that are euphemistically called newspapers, they have the audacity to accuse the ‘Coalition’ of rigging.

If one should look at the Opposition playbook, one cannot help but notice similarities in their agenda. Who can forget their outlandish behaviour at the Marriott, with their man-of-the-cloth (who said that Jesus would have voted PPP) leading the way along, with their Presidential Candidate in tow. This ugly behaviour was followed by what we call the GECOM invasion on March 5, then the display of further hooliganism at Mon Repos, Lusignan, Cotton Tree, and Blairmont, in East Berbice, where a police Sergeant was injured, as were schoolchildren in the throwing of missiles at a school bus.

What are we witnessing with this type of behaviour? Are these episodes a “dress rehearsal” for opening night, when the count goes against them? Are we to expect violence from the supporters on the instruction of the PPP? Surely the PPP would know that would be a lost cause; that they have become the laughing stock of Guyanese the world over. The question that reverberates is: What they coming with now? The latest from one of their cronies is: “Stakeholders, observers too far away from counting table.” Is that the best you have to offer? The PPP’s constant stymieing with their constant screaming of “wolf” is, in fact, testing the patience of the Guyanese people.

Saint Augustine, the first modern political thinker, in his book, The City of God, said: “There is a biological predisposition in human beings to maximise their own self-interest, regardless of the interest and needs of others.”

Regards,
Milton Bruce

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_05_08_2020

THE subject of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its raison d’etre has been written on, ad nauseam, and mentioned in numerous letters published in this newspaper. That this has been so is largely due to the numerous sinister attempts in some well-known political quarters, and by their vested-interest cliques to denude this key constitutional body of its autonomy and independent functions to make it a creature of their anti-national designs.

This constitutional fact is well known to the PPP/C and those with whom it continues to conspire to make obscene demands of the GECOM. It is particularly ridiculous, to put it mildly, and equally asinine for those who do so to continue to make unlawful demands of the nation’s electoral body, such as objecting to the Chief Executive Officer having control of the Statement of Recounts. How much more of this utter nonsense and dangerous charade must GECOM, and the nation, by extension, continue to be subject to? Must one be reminded time and again that the CEO, a constitutional office-holder, must at all times be in charge of the electoral process, until it is satisfactorily completed?

It, therefore, becomes necessary for the constitutional position of the nation’s electoral body to be reiterated, as an important reminder to those who are bent on bringing this important institution into disrepute, by ways which defy any rational explanation, if only because the reasons are only too obviously contrived and devious in their intention and execution.

GECOM is the nation’s electoral organ, in fact and in law, as underlined in the Constitution of Guyana, that is empowered with the important task of being responsible for the administrating of national and regional elections in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

This means that it is wholly responsible for all matters, inclusive of fulsome preparations, that pertain to this most important democratic function of facilitating the expression of the free will of the citizen. Inherent to this undertaking is the all-important key responsibility of ensuring that the balloting exercise is free, fair, and transparent, which must be extended to the equally critically-important ability of declaring results that can withstand scrutiny.

In its execution of the foregoing functions, there has been unconditional support and unyielding insistence, by the Executive especially, that the nation’s electoral body must be undeterred and deliberate in its independence in carrying out those constitutional functions as mandated.

In its executive structure and administrative functions, the GECOM is managed by a Commission, which body is headed by a Chairperson, as catered for by the Constitution. It is the Chairperson who is tasked with finalising all actions as are related to the holding of national and regional polls, which, in turn, are delegated to the Chief Elections Officer, and those of his support team for execution. In fact, the Chief Elections Officer’s functions are integral to the role and function of receiving the final results; the allocation of seats to the various political participating parties in the elections; and ensuring the accuracy of those final results before presenting them to the Chairperson for discussion with the Commission, before their final announcement, which leads to the swearing in of either the incumbent executive for another term of office, or a new government.

The above, as outlined, illustrates not only the uncontested supremacy of the GECOM as being the sole constitutional body tasked with ensuring that national elections are held, but also outlines its fulsome powers, as enunciated not so long ago by a Court of Appeal decision that it is empowered to ensure impartiality in its results. In fact, such a ruling served to remind the nation that the GECOM is the sole constitutional authority that is vested with the power to direct all electoral matters, which includes the recount, as stipulated in its decisions.

It goes without saying, therefore, that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), as in the process of the holding of any or all national and regional elections, is also the constitutionally-delegated officer that is responsible for the currently conducted recount, which includes a forensic audit, as ordered by the GECOM. There cannot, and should not, be any change or deviation from THE CEO’s responsibility, since his constitutional status remains unchanged, as far as his functions are outlined under the Constitution which governs the functioning of the GECOM. For those who respect the powers of the Constitution, the answer has to be very obvious.

Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_05_08_2020