Dear Editor,
I condemn the serious acts of violence against Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) staff doing house-to-house registration. This violence is committed by PPP supporters. Over the last few weeks, GECOM enumerators have been assaulted, bitten by dogs, threatened and harassed by PPP supporters. This deplorable violence was instigated by Guyana’s opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, and the PPP, who have been publicly calling on their supporters not to cooperate with GECOM staff.

GECOM has now called on the Guyana Police Force to protect their staff. Jagdeo and the PPP are solely responsible for, and must be held accountable for this violence against GECOM staff. I call on Police Commissioner, Leslie James, to launch an investigation into this unconscionable violence and obstruction of government administration, and to institute criminal charges against the perpetrators and their co-conspirators in the PPP.

I remind GECOM staff, that while they must call the police in situations where violence is threatened or used against them, they also have a right to use force to defend themselves and protect their lives. They should also file both criminal charges and civil lawsuits against the perpetrators. It is preposterous that PPP allies and support organisations like the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Times of Guyana (Stabroek News) etc., are condoning these violent attacks on GECOM staff by their disinterest in, and/or refusal to condemn the assault of these innocent public servants who are executing their lawful mandates by GECOM.

I can only surmise that because they support the PPP, and are against the registration of voters, that they countenance these disgraceful acts of violence. Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP are creating the conditions for violence in Guyana. Guyanese must not allow this tactic that led to race riots in 1964 to prevail in 2019. This must resisted at all cost!
I’m stunned that Bharrat Jagdeo and others in the PPP have committed serious wrongdoing since December 2018, with which they have gotten away because of police inaction. This is undermining public confidence in the police force. It is worrisome that the APNU+AFC coalition government has not forcefully condemned, and ordered an investigation of, these dastardly, criminal acts.
Regards
Rickford Burke
President
Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)