SO, what further nonsensical tomfoolery is this? How does the Editor-in-Chief allow one of his writers to display such ad hominem hostility and misleading untruths? I refer to the headline in the Guyana Chronicle of June 19, 2015 which read: ‘PPP/C invokes 200,000 votes to oust Dr. Surujbally’.

Firstly, Dr. Surujbally is a Constitutional Office Holder, with well-defined legal elements associated with his tenure and with specific prerequisites anchored in the Constitution relating to his demittance from Office. 200,000 votes do not represent one of those conditions.

I have no doubt that Dr. Surujbally, who led the team which many (a lot more than 200,000) believe carried out the best elections ever in Guyana, will in due course demit Office. In fact, I do remember when asked during a press conference (after the elections) what change he would like to see, he said emphatically that, as a septuagenarian, his leaving GECOM would be the first change. So, the PPP threatening “he will go; it’s only a matter of time” is a ludicrous self-fulfilling prophesy.

The PPP, knowing this fully well, is now presenting itself as demanders of that which is already quite well known and which is naturally inevitable. How pathetic? How idiotic? How counter-productive? Are these people so collectively blind that they cannot see how ‘jokey’ their performances are being perceived by their own party members and the nation as a whole?

But there are other artificial fulminations which the PPP knows to be incorrect but which they continue to peddle for reasons known to all, namely to make their supporters believe that the PPP is doing something on their behalf and to keep them in a state of tension. This is a dangerous game. But the PPP seems not to care.

One example of the wickedness is to state that it is the GECOM Chairman who gives the general orders and directions to the Secretariat. Really? And what do the other policy making Commissioners do (including those nominated by the PPP, who are described by the PPP as ‘their’ representatives and ‘their’ Commissioners)? Do they all just sit there and accept the “bullying”, “browbeating”, “threatening” and “intimidating”? You mean to tell me that Surujbally can bully and browbeat the likes of Mohamood Shaw – the tough Head of BASS, the strong and courageous Vincent Alexander who challenged Robert Corbin for the PNC leadership, the bright and capable Arun Mangar and Sase Gunraj; the accomplished Sandra Jones and Charles Corbin? And what of those previous Commissioners like Haslyn Parris, Lloyd Joseph, Moen McDoom, Dr Mangal, Robert Williams, Jaya Manickchand? Did Surujbally manhandle these very capable and strong personalities in their own right? Did he collectively intimidate them and make them quiver? Surely, this is highly unlikely. If Surujbally could do this, then he is a powerhouse, exactly the type to lead GECOM in the midst of those Party loyalists who masquerade as independent Commissioners.

I really don’t think that the nation believes that bit of hogwash.

Finally, may I suggest that (the reporter who wrote the diatribe) and the PPP leadership stop beating a dead horse; stop being national laughing stocks; go into Parliament; and defend/represent the people who gave them the 49.3%.

By the way, it must have occurred to others that if the elections were rigged, why would the riggers carry out such a foolish job as to have the final numbers be so close (just over 1%)?
K. WILLIAMS