It might be too early to draw sweeping conclusions on Guyana’s regional and national elections which were executed on March 2nd, 2020. This process has not been completed and numerous variables are in play that can negate any serious analysis.

Be that as it may, what has unfolded thus far is so cataclysmic, it is difficult to see how any pen of consequence can resist the temptation to pontificate on this event. In doing so, one cannot escape discussion about the dangers that lie within the Official List of Electors (OLE). Guyanese are now painfully aware of the perils associated with a scenario where there is an election with a bloated list. Influenced by this consideration, the question is hereby begged: did we walk into an electoral death trap on March 2nd 2020?

THE BLOATED LIST
How dangerous is a bloated list vis-à-vis credible elections in a democracy? Such a list of electors proceeds from the assumption that all men are inherently good and if given the opportunity to hijack the most critical election in a nation’s history, they will decline. Further, it can be likened to leaving your door open at night while you sleep and placing your trust in humankind. It invites wicked enterprises.

From all appearances thus far, that invitation was readily accepted by the dark forces in search of power at all costs to shepherd Guyana through its first phase of an oil-and-gas economy. The fears of many who have been vocal against the current OLE, it seems, have frighteningly been realized.

Those familiar with this issue have raised the alarm over this numerical and statistical nightmare, they have strained every sinew of muscle in their vocal cords. They have cautioned that Guyana’s electoral list is bloated by over 100,000 (Jeffrey: 2020). Others have warned that it is statistically impossible for the OLE to have 661, 028 voters (Alexander, Singh: 2020). Henry Jeffrey posited that Guyana is a ‘rigging field’.

In service of addressing these concerns, the Guyana Electoral Commission and the government of Guyana sought to fix this unacceptable scenario but the extraordinary circumstances brought about by the passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) prevented the completion of this exercise. Given the decision by the Commission, in August 2019, to merge the data collected from the partially completed house-to-house registration exercise with the national register of registrants, we proceeded to the electoral death trap.

THE SAFEGUARDS ARGUMENT
Considering the aforementioned, the findings at a prima facie level up to now at the national recount have laid bare the dangers of a bloated list. So far, allegations with verifiable documentation have revealed: voting by the dead, migrants who voted, voters without National Identification Cards or Oath of Identity and missing poll books. Why should anyone be transfixed or struck by these developments, this what an imperfect list facilitates.

Despite such a circumstance that teems with many electoral problems, some have remained on the side of encouraging this situation. Gouveia and Nandalall et al have argued that a bloated list poses no danger to an electoral system that has a plethora of safeguards. This is the sentiment of the school of thought that talks up modern electoral reforms with enough impenetrable armaments such as Voter I.D, party agents at the place of poll, the ticking off of names and the inking of voters.

Given the abundance of indisputable evidence of these methods being easily breached by dishonorable actors, it is not unreasonable to view their undying support for an insecure system with much suspicion. Once the electoral door is open and there is the mother of all elections with the stakes astronomically high, somebody will run. Somebody did run in with a fraudulent scheme and all fingers are rightfully being pointed to the problematic list.

THE MING CHALLENGE
The argumentation in this column is, to a large extent, influenced by the passionate plea and challenge made by respected businessman and visionary, Mr. Stanley Ming. Appearing on the Benschop Radio programme, ‘Straight Up’ on Thursday, March 21st, he asserted that it was statistically improbable for there to be 440,000 voters at the March 2nd regional and national elections.

Also, he vehemently posited that any voter turnout above 375, 000 is fertile ground for suspicion. Such authoritative ventilation cannot be ignored by any stretch of the imagination. This strange data constantly feeds suspicions and in the absence of clear and plausible explanations, claims of widespread electoral fraud are credible.
It is highly likely at this juncture that we indeed walked into an electoral death trap on March 2nd, 2020.