THE 2014 Appropriation Act which was passed in the National Assembly on April 16 was assented to by then Acting President Samuel Hinds last Tuesday evening, meeting the required deadline.

However, President Donald Ramotar has said that resort to general elections is not off the table. President Ramotar needs to be reminded that in order for him to call snap elections, he must fully inform the entire nation what plans are in place in the event PNC/APNU/AFC were to openly threaten violence, like happened during last general elections; and what plans are in place to safeguard ballot boxes against riggers.

The President just cannot place some police ranks at polling stations, since most police vote PNC and are still with the ‘kith and kin’ mentality.

The President also cannot count on CARICOM countries to be impartial election observers because, again, it would be ‘kith and kin’ with most. The President must also remember Mrs. Jagan was robbed of her full term in office by CARICOM, to please the PNC.

The President must be reminded of the rift between Guyana and the US over Hardt’s bullyism; and that the British High Commissioner was on the streets with the PNC when they were threatening violence if the PPP insisted ballots be recounted, causing the PPP to be robbed of 19 ballot boxes in one of its strongholds.

The President must remember that he must tread very carefully in getting UN observers to come monitor any election in Guyana, simply because the UN has to toe the US line.

PNC and the superpowers are sitting it out, awaiting next election, to install PNC back in power. In order for PPP to win a majority, if elections are to be free, fair and transparent, the PPP must not approve anything for AFC.

PPP must never give Nagamootoo and Ramjattan the ammunition to run up to Whim to say to the people there that “we made PPP do this…we made PPP do that…we made PPP do the other.”

Once the AFC’s back is broken once and for all, the US, Brits and all Guyanese know that PNC does not have the support base to win elections; therefore, the US can’t say “elections were free and fair and PNC won”.

TED KING