THE election campaign is truly on as the day for voting looms on the horizon; the speeches, political rallies and the call to vote go out from the various political groupings. Everything is at fever-pitch level. Barring the usual mudslinging or “cuss downs” as one would want to call it, there is the all too familiar violence factor creeping into the campaign.  Vivid examples were there to be seen on Nomination Day and the PPP/C’s Buxton rally, when hooliganism of the worst kind was unleashed on the people. Barricades were pulled down; persons of a certain ethnicity and assumed political affiliation were roughed up; while expletives of the worst kind were hurled at their political opponents. Some might brush this aside as an over-zealous bunch of party followers “going a little overboard” with their celebrations.
I beg to differ. The occasions mentioned were just Nomination Day and a political rally of an opposing party, what is there to celebrate? But the downright nasty and obnoxious behaviour of the PNC now APNU is all too obvious, especially when their backs are against the wall; a symptomatic, intimidatory, violent attack on their opponents is their way of making the loser mentality known.

And there is good reason for everyone to be on  heightened alert as present in their midst was the likes of Winston Felix, a man who while in public office did not hide his political allegiance to the PNCR and sought every way to promote the nefarious agenda of that party. This disgraced ex-police commissioner oversaw crimes of the worst kind during his tenure, has come out of hibernation to give his party “the energy” they need. We are dealing with a party and an ex-cop that knows violence; they are seasoned operators where this is concerned and in election 2011 there is the likelihood of a return to this modus operandi. What we witnessed in the cases mentioned earlier is just a foretaste of what lays ahead. Desperate people will make desperate moves, however, the authorities should have systems in place to ensure that peace and quiet are maintained as we move closer to November 28.