CHATTER, in some cases vociferously so, has been sounded on the matter of rigged elections and the stuffing of ballot boxes, of late by the two major political parties in Guyana, the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

APNU+AFC, as well as leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Rupert Roopnaraine was the first, according to the chronology of local media reports, to kick this particular “campaign football” onto the field, accusing the PPP/C of rigged elections from a platform on the Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam).
He was answered by the PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee, whose rejoinder was to send the “political football” in another direction.

“Instead of accusing the PPP of rigging, he should first explain the sordid events that took place in South Georgetown on the 28th November, 2011. We wish to assure the Guyanese people that the PPP has never and will never, ever be involved in any elections rigging,” Rohee declared.
Messrs Mohamood Shaw and Athmaram Mangar, Commissioners with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have backed up claims of the ruling party that the voter turnout in certain areas in the Capital City was higher, hinting at some aspects of rigging.
In a joint statement, the two contend that information of these charges were presented to the Elections Commission. “We wish to go on record as having presented such information several months ago to him (Dr. Steve Surujbally) and the Secretariat staff,” the two men said.

SECOND PLAY
In a second play of sorts, the APNU+AFC presidential candidate, David Granger, was the next political “big-wig” to be involved in the unfolding exchange. At a rally in Bartica, he took to the platform to charge that the PPP only “thinks” that it is a cleverly operated political machine.
The retired Brigadier said, “My brothers and sisters, the PPP thinks it is very clever. It doesn’t steal big, it steals small. There are 2,400 polling stations and the PPP are going to steal votes. The PPP stole votes in 1992, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Every time the PPP competed in an election, you had surplus votes. Make sure there are no surplus votes in 2015. And I want all of you to be the elections watchdogs on elections day.”
The ruling party’s Champion of the Earth, former president, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, was in the public’s eye before long to answer the charges – charges he contends that contain nothing but rhetoric premised on no facts.
“It has no basis in fact and is far from the truth. Mr. Granger has been saying things that would cause one to wonder if he is in his full senses…he says that from 1992 to now all the elections were rigged,” he said.
Dr. Jagdeo stressed that this contention undermines the credibility of the international and local electoral observers who were privy to the electoral process of the years cited as contentious.
“What he is effectively saying is not only that we rigged the elections, but that the Carter Centre, the Organisation of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth, they have all conspired with the PPP, all these international observers, to declare every single one of these elections free and fair,” he said.
The former President said Granger’s comments are compounded by his stance on what has been internationally recognised as rigged elections under the former People’s National Congress (PNC) regime, the party he now leads.
“We have already had to deal with this unbelievable declaration that elections in the past were not rigged, contrary to what every single Guyanese knows, what every single international body knows, he has made that declaration and he has gotten away with it,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Consequently, he concluded that Mr. Granger is most likely preparing the supporters of APNU+AFC for a defeat at the upcoming polls.

The “campaign football” in possession of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally, after queries from this newspaper, was unapologetically deflated.
First off, he waded into Messrs Mohamood Shaw and Athmaram Mangar for their statement with contentions of his own.
“The first thing is if you brought something to the Commission several months ago and you noticed no action, wouldn’t you raise it again at the Commission, on which you sit? That’s my first question. Secondly, since 2011 to now, it is only now, several months ago that you are bringing this to my attention, only now? Thirdly, I have conferred with my Commission colleagues and asked if they have heard of the ‘stuffing of ballot boxes’ anywhere; the answer is no,” he declared.
Dr. Surujbally added, “These are Commissioners that are speaking this way. It is reprehensive for a Commissioner to speak this way; reprehensive for a Commissioner to give a statement because [it] impugns our credibility, creates dissent and raises questions about the functions of the Secretariat, to say discredit the Commission as a whole.”
Back to the question of rigged elections, from both sides, the GECOM Chairman made it clear that for the many years he has served with the Commission there has been no attempt at such an endeavour.
“I know of no such thing. Nowhere was that raised, not by the electoral observer mission and not at the Commission level. I don’t know about anything of that nature. This is also the first time that I am hearing that the PPP rigged elections,” he declared.
Dr. Surujbally stressed that GECOM makes every effort to ensure that the integrity of the electoral process, which it is constitutionally mandated to manage, is free and fair.
“My staff is every single morning going to bed until 03:00 hrs in the morning, they are dying for sleep,” he said, underscoring the commitment of GECOM staffers.
Polls open at 06:00 hrs on May 11 when Guyanese vote in the most significant General and Regional elections since 1992.