Dear Editor,
ANY negotiation or conflict-resolution expert would tell you that in any conflict it would be unusual for one party to be solely responsible. As a result, for the complete resolution of a dispute, the warring factions must be prepared to come to the negotiating table with an honest disposition to acknowledge their wrongs. This hypothesis is informed by the rationale that the first hurdle to overcome in conflict resolution is closure for both sides; and understanding of the conflict from both parties’ perspectives. The painful and factual reality is that without closure, the negotiation is doomed to fail. Acknowledgement of wrongdoing from both parties will serve as that key that will open that door to gain entry to the new world of the resolved conflict.
Last night, Mark Benschop on the “Straight up” show interviewed Sanjeev Datadin and Dr. David Hinds. From the outset, Sanjeev Datadin, when asked to express his opinion of H.E President Granger, went into a rant about Mr. Granger’s politics. The reality is that with his tunnel vision he could not differentiate between Mr.Granger the person and Mr. Granger the politician. Dr. David Hinds, when given the chance, was asked the very question and took Sanjeev to school on how it is done. Sanjeev Datadin was then asked about the recount and Guyana’s politics as a whole. Unfortunately, his responses were stunning but not surprising.
1. He redefined the geography of Guyana. Guyana is made up of only Region Four.
2. In the most recent elections, there was only one Returning Officer, Mr. Mingo.
3. Despite the chief justice clearly stating that eight out of the nine regions used the spreadsheet, he is adamant that Mr. Mingo’s use of the spreadsheet was illegal, while the other ROs’, mostly in PPP areas use of them were not illegal.
4. He lied that it was only Region Four there were problems. If that were true, then why did APNU+AFC request recounts in five of the six regions that the PPP won?
5. He lied that APNU+AFC and the PPP/C gained only a few votes in Region One, when the fact is that the PPP/C lost votes and APNU+AFC gained over 100.
6. He refused to acknowledge that 50% of the ballot boxes in Region One had illegalities and irregularities.
7. He refused to acknowledge that they were irregularities in the disciplined services votes. He tried to provide an irrational explanation.
8. He claimed that the APNU+AFC is making allegations about dead and overseas voters without evidence. That is not true, since the GECOM commissioner Vincent Alexander stated that they have provided death certificates. The fact is that the PPP and Datadin would only differentiate allegations from proven facts when it suits them. What evidence have they produced to support their case of fraud by Mr. Mingo? None, yet they run around making accusations and suggesting punitive actions(removing him from the recount and terminatinghis contract)
8. He tried to defend Gocool Boodhoo’s illegality as numerical mix-ups. The sad reality is that these “numerical mix-ups“ always benefitted the PPP. Mr. Mingo committed fraud, while Mr. Boodhoo had a “numerical mix-up.“ Why?
9. He refused to acknowledge that the 1961 and 1997 elections were illegal, despite the courts making rulings in that regard.
10. He said it is a fact that Mr. Burnham rigged elections, but when asked about the supporting evidence, he claimed that it was part of a BBC documentary. Since when a BBC documentary has been given powers of the judiciary?
11. When Dr. Hinds stated that all parties were involved in some form of rigging dating back to 1961, he flatly said not the PPP, despite the emerging evidence in the recount and the many claims over the years.
12. He claimed that Statements of Poll cannot be faked. If that is the case, then how can he explain 19 fake PPP Statement of Poll that Mr. Lowenfield discovered during the 2015 vote count? How can he explain the PPP’s daily editing of their Statements of Poll on their website? Why did the PPP take down their Statements of Poll from their website if they are not fake?
13. For him, when the AFC was cheated out of a seat in 2006 and a similar attempt was made in 2011, he did not see those as attempted electoral fraud.
14. He was very rude, loud and aggressive. Many times Dr. Hinds and Mr. Benschop had to request not to be interrupted.
16. He lied by stating that cleaning up the voters list would have taken two years. That is not my recollection of the timeline provided by GECOM.
17. And they were many more lies, distortion of facts and rewriting of history, but space limitation will not permit me to extend the list.
The fact is that PPP destroyed the sugar industry when they were in power. US$200M was spent on the Skeldon factory, which was essentially money down the drain. To date they cannot account for money provided by the EU. They singlehandedly destroyed the sugar industry during their 23 years in power, yet by some strange reason they blame the APNU+AFC. A few months ago I outlined the billions Guyana lost from the many failed contracts the PPP awarded to friends and family. Under the very PPP, hundreds were murdered, including a sitting minister, yet they would be gas-lighting us by stating they never happened. Discrimination, victimisation, nepotism and economic genocide were all painfully practised by the PPP. Their links with the phantom squad and drug traffickers were well documented, but yet the PPP and characters like Datadin would present the PPP as the angelic party and APNU+AFC and PNC as evil entities which have caused Guyana irreparable damage.
My good friend Mark Benschop is very patient. I am not that patient. If Datadin was on my show and be insulting my intelligence, I would not have minced my words. I would have sent that politically blind man to Freedom Radio to lecture to the ruminating cows.
The sad reality is that Guyana is in a political crisis. The sad reality is that the PPP is a major contributor to this crisis by refusing a clean list, but rather than admit their failings, they would run around redefining Guyana’s geography as a country of one region, Region Four, while blaming others. Truth be told, unless all parties are prepared to come to the negotiating table and honestly admit their failings, then Guyana will continue to have disputed elections and mistrust between the major races. In a previous letter I had reason to reprimand both Datadin and Jonas for their tunnel vision in their rush to tag Mr. Burnham as the only President who has had illegal elections. I had to remind them that what they were stating were allegations, since they were never proven in a court of law. I had to bring to their attention the elections of 1997 when Mrs. Jagan demonstrated great disrespect for our constitution by throwing the court papers over her shoulder. I had to remind them that the PPP who forever “lived” by the constitution, yet failed to have local government elections in over 16 years.
The fact is that everyone in Guyana is crying out for peace while ignoring those crying for justice. And we know that peace is birthed out of the womb of justice. For without justice there can be no peace. As a people we need to be prepared to provide justice for all. We should not trivialise the other parties’ experiences. If we do not get our act together and sit down to have an honest discussion, then we will forever be the laughing stock of the Caribbean. We will forever be seen as this hemisphere’s Cain and Abel — fighting among ourselves.
Regards
Dr. Mark Devonish
