PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo, through his recent observation and interaction with the opposition, has concluded that they would do anything to drive the country into a political stalemate for the sake of regaining power.

This, he noted in his weekly column ‘My Turn,’ is being done by disregarding the rights of citizens and the “goal of national unity” envisioned by leaders such as former President of Guyana, Dr Cheddi Jagan.

Recounting his observations at the high-level meeting between the President and the opposition on Wednesday, Nagamootoo stated that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo lobbied for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to conduct a shortened process of revising the existing voters’ list.

He said that Jagdeo also insisted that the President dictate to GECOM the form of elections preparation it should take.

“At the meeting Wednesday last, the opposition leader insisted that President Granger should disrespect and discard the elections commission. He insisted that the President should unilaterally fix a date for elections, and GECOM would be required to toe the line,” Nagamootoo said.

“Jagdeo knows that the constitution entrusts GECOM, not the President, with the power of holding elections, and that a key component of credible elections is a clean list of electors.

The present list is padded with phantom names. At the same time, it excludes the names of youths who have now attained the age of 18 and could vote in any upcoming elections. His inexplicable obsession with disenfranchising young people makes his demand for early elections suspicious.”

Indeed, the opposition leader had stated after the meeting that the ball is completely in the president’s court to call an election date, even as he argued that GECOM is not an independent body.

However, Jagdeo’s own words while serving as President back in 2006, were: “The law says that GECOM shall define the form of verification of the list, or may decide on verification and will decide on what form it will take. Not the PPP, not the PNC, not any party – GECOM. That’s a constitutional body, independent, just like the courts.”

With the inconsistent remarks in mind, Nagamootoo reaffirmed the President’s decision that GECOM must return to the drawing board to determine the shortest possible time in which credible elections can be held, after which he will set a date.

The prime minister, in his article, also zeroed in on the opposition-nominated commissioners’ attempt to present to the government delegation during Friday’s meeting, a 50-day work plan intended to squeeze elections in by April 30, 2019, when the current list expires.

According to the plan, which Commissioner Bibi Shadick presented to the media, Nomination Day to elections day would run for 40 days; Nomination Day would be March 26, 2019, and elections day, April 29, 2019.

The document also stated that events preliminary to Nomination Day, which includes sending invitations to interested parties to submit lists, would take up 10 days from March 12 to 25, excluding Sundays and holidays.

Simultaneously in the 50-day period, they proposed the training, testing and selection of election day staff and the procurement of sensitive and non-sensitive materials expected to take up only 42 days.

Also, from March 11 to April 29, it was suggested that civic and voter education be conducted.

“These clearly are unattainable by an April 30 deadline. But the opposition would, if it has to, push the time-frame a month at a time to simulate a crisis,” the prime minister stated.

He later added: “For Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who first received the presidency as a gift, the longer it takes to hold elections is a zero-sum gamble in which he sees only himself as winner, and everyone else a loser. The opposition would, therefore, leave no room for compromise. It would turn on the heat to drive the country into a political stalemate, which it would gleefully caricature as a ‘dictatorship.’ It would invite foreign intervention and court sanctions against Guyana.”

In comparison, the prime minister noted that the late President Cheddi Jagan, whose life is presently being celebrated by Guyanese, would never be complicit in the deception politics being demonstrated by Jagdeo, one of his successors.

Furthermore, Nagamootoo highlighted that the opposition is flaunting the 50-day timeline which utilises the current list, as a period which will result in credible elections.

At the meeting, he recounted that opposition-nominated commissioners insisted that GECOM has always held “credible” elections when it is public knowledge that the opposition challenged the results of the 2015 elections with a petition pending for hearing in court.
“They chose to forget that the opposition had initially boycotted sittings of the National Assembly in protest against alleged ‘rigged’ elections,” Nagamootoo said.

While some question the necessity for the list to be renewed at this point, Commissioner Vincent Alexander has explained on several occasions that this is in keeping with GECOM’s previous decision to conduct house-to-house registration every seven years.

It is also in keeping with the funding which was provided for house-to-house registration in the 2019 budget, prior to the no-confidence vote.
Nagamootoo believes that the actions of the opposition, led by Jagdeo, are their final attempts to “grab state power for access to anticipated oil wealth.”

Either way, GECOM is expected to meet again on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, when it will come to an agreement on a credible timeframe for new General and Regional Elections, as awaited by the President.