HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday defended President Donald Ramotar’s comment that the main opposition political party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), was engaged in irregular activities which led to  claims of rigging in the November 28, 2011 Regional and General Elections. In response to a question, at his post-Cabinet media briefing, on the legitimacy of the Government in the context of the President’s remarks, the HPS said he does not believe that they could be construed to have any impact on the legitimacy of the Government.
“There wasn’t any question on the constitutionality of the decision made by the Commission in appointing Donald Ramotar as the President of Guyana after the 2011 general elections,” Luncheon maintained at the Presidential Complex on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
He said that what the President’s statements led to was the examination of the plurality of the vote counting.
“Most of the President’s comments addressed those instances where the People’s Progressive Party/Civic insists that mischief was afoot in counting the votes, getting the correct numbers based on which the combined Opposition enjoy the plurality. The Opposition now hold a combined majority of seats in the National Assembly, notwithstanding the fact that the ruling PPP/C won the single largest bloc, more than any other party in the House,” Luncheon pointed out.
However, notwithstanding the reports and the conclusions that arose from the scrutiny of the elections by the external observers, it is the Government’s contention that there is indeed justification for the President’s comment, the HPS insisted.

ONLY PARTY
He observed that the PPP was the only party that lodged an objection within the stipulated timeframe. But, after discussions, it was withdrawn.
“It would be fair to conclude that notwithstanding the withdrawal of those objections that the original basis for those objections being made still existed, although, having the objections dealt with, processed by the Elections Commission and the specific mechanism to do so were invoked,” Luncheon  said.
On the ruling party’s failure in moving to the court or lobbying for a forensic audit with regard to the elections results, the HPS said, in the very first engagement among the three parliamentary political parties, President Ramotar, repeatedly, put forward the idea of conducting a forensic audit.
Luncheon said the fact that it did not manifest should be the basis for the other parties to explain. In his view, having been part of the meeting, there was not a consensus, among the three parties, to do so.
The issue was brought to the fore following an article in the Sunday Chronicle of February 12, in which President Ramotar spoke of incidents at several polling stations. The Head of State reported that, in some cases, the ruling party’s polling agents had been bodily ejected, having generated the realisation, too late, that the election results were being rigged and, certainly, not by the PPP/C.
President Ramotar expressed the opinion, as well, that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR),  APNU and the AFC meant to grab power through the 2011 elections – by hook or by crook and strategised accordingly.
He said the Opposition did a lot of wicked things in South Georgetown and some other areas, where they created an atmosphere not to have PPP/C polling agents around and managed to get them out by hostility and violent threats.
Mr. Ramotar told the Chronicle it is his belief that the Opposition penetrated the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and, to some extent, controlled the machinery, where they were not even taking instructions from the Chairman or the Chief Elections Officer and engaged in manipulation.

FEATHERS RUFFLED
In addition, with regard to the counting, the President said persons were prevented from witnessing the process, which was confirmed, to him, by independent observers.
The President’s exclusive interview with the Chronicle has ruffled feathers among the Opposition, since both parties have since lashed out against the utterances.
Leader of APNU, retired Brigadier David Granger expressed dismay, declaring that Mr. Ramotar’s statements are, factually incorrect and has the potential to undermine the tripartite discussions taking place among the three parties.
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, speaking at a news conference held yesterday, expressed how ‘insulted’ he felt to have learnt of President Ramotar’s statements that the AFC and ‘A Partnership for National Unity’ (APNU) had rigged the just-concluded general and regional elections.

THREAT TO PEACE
Without divulging all the reasons for the PPP/C’s withdrawal of its rightful request for a recount of the results from the polling stations involved, President Ramotar revealed to the Chronicle that, among the reasons for this withdrawal was the latent threat to the peace and stability in the country.  He said, “We wanted to ensure that there was no breakout of violence, because we think that would have held back our country if we went down that road.  As far as the development of Guyana was concerned it would have had a very negative effect and so we chose at that point in time to call off the recount; but that was not the only reason.”
Asked whether he is convinced, based on his decades of experience of elections in Guyana,  that the PPP/C was robbed, the President responded: “For sure, I think we had over 50%.  I think we lost some votes, no doubt, but I don’t think we lost enough to bring us under 50%, but the results were through manipulation.
“My own realistic assessment was that we had probably between 52 – 53%.”
Nevertheless, in the interest of the nation, and in the tradition of the PPP, the President said he is prepared to work with all the opposition parties toward a cohesive society and optimal development in the country, whereby every Guyanese continues to benefit equitably from the nation’s resources under the administrative watch of the PPP/C in Government.
However, despite the President’s efforts toward consensual decision-making through a tripartite arrangement suggested by the PPP/C, the opposition collective is still engaged in games of one-upmanship.