APNU-AFC Leader David Granger may be setting the stage for post-election violence after his defeat at the polls.

Granger’s election gambit is a dangerous strategy that is likely to provoke violence by his supporters, many of whom are being led to believe that the PPP/C is planning to rig the election. His recent proclamation that the APNU-AFC coalition will win between 58% and 62% of the votes on Election Day is irresponsible, baseless, and unrealistic given voting patterns of election results in Guyana since free and fair elections were held in 1992.

David Granger has no statistics or evidence to support his ridiculous prediction, but this follows the same reckless statements made by APNU member James Bond on his Facebook page earlier, claiming overwhelming votes going to the APNU-AFC by members of the armed forces.

In the 2001 General Election, the PNC won 41% of the votes cast, compared to 53% by the PPP/C; In 2006, the PNC won 36% of the votes, and the PPP/C got 54%. Then, in 2011, the PNC-led APNU secured 40% of the votes, compared to 49% by the PPP/C.

The decline in the PPP/C votes in 2011 was due mainly to complacency on the part of PPP supporters, who, assuming that the PPP/C had already won the election, stayed home. The reduced percentage was also due to votes lost to the AFC after Moses Nagamootoo lied to sugar workers in promising them an increase of 20% when they knew they had no chance of forming the Government.

Some PPP supporters were conned into supporting the AFC, believing that party to be the third force that would have contributed to sound, progressive policies emanating from Parliament. But after witnessing the AFC’s alliance with the PNC-led APNU year after year, which slashed a total of $89.4 billion from the national budget during the life of the Ramotar Administration, the AFC support has all but disappeared now. In fact, apart from the AFC executive members, their families and a handful of loyal supporters, not much is left of that once-promising political party.

So, with their diminished numbers, it is highly unlikely for the AFC to muster enough votes to propel the PNC-APNU over the finish line; and it is certainly impossible for the combined APNU-AFC to win between 58% and 62% of the votes in a free and fair election.

Of course, there was a time in our nation’s history when rigging of national elections was so massive and bare-faced that the PNC used to give itself a two-thirds majority in Parliament with the help of David Granger’s Guyana Defence Force (GDF). For instance: In 1980, the PNC “won” 77.7% of the total votes, and 78.5% in 1985; but in 1992, when former US President Jimmy Carter insisted on free and fair elections, the PNC got only 42% of the total votes.

But, like the General Secretary of the PPP said recently, “This time nah lang time”.

The APNU-AFC will find it extremely difficult to rig this one; so Granger has once again come up with a different strategy to explain the rejection of his party by the electorate.

David Granger is fully aware of the despicable, lawless behaviour by some of his followers, who turn out at PPP/C meetings to disrupt those events. He’s well aware that this is a violation of the GECOM Code of Conduct he signed, giving his commitment to keep the peace, yet he deliberately fans the flames to ignite anger and distrust among the very supporters whose racist, vulgar behaviour he is yet to condemn.

Over the last few weeks, Guyanese have witnessed the animalistic behaviour of the PNC emerging from the APNU-AFC camp. This is frightening to those of us who lived through the dark days of the PNC dictatorship, and I’m sure it is equally frightening to those young individuals who were hoping for change. But anyone willing to give Granger the benefit of the doubt must now surely realise that the old PNC is alive and well in the APNU-AFC.

I, like most Guyanese, am hopeful for a peaceful election, in which the outcome is accepted by all. There are enough observers, both foreign and local, to ensure this election is free and fair; but our leaders must exercise great care, and act responsibility and avoid the use of inflammatory remarks that can provoke violence of any sort. Those who incite violence must be arrested and placed before the courts for disrupting the peace. We can no longer afford to rebuild our city after a season of looting and burning every time one ethnicity feels deprived of their God-given right to run this country. We’ve come much too far to allow such primitive behaviours to retard our progress.

HARRY GILL