POLITICAL activist Mark Benschop says he has made a report to the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over a fake Facebook profile with his name calling for a riot if house to house registration is stopped by newly appointed GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.

The fake Facebook surfaced earlier last week, along with a fake Guyana Chronicle online front page with a headline stating “New GECOM Chairperson Plans to Cancel House to House Registration”.

Benschop called the posts a political ploy to damage his reputation, noting that calling a riot is something that he would not entertain, particularly given his respect for Justice Singh and any decisions she makes.

“Even if Singh is to rule against house-to-house I don’t see the need for people to riot, I don’t see the need for people to protest. But what they did is that they created a fake page in my name. I couldn’t see the page because what they did is that they block me,” Benschop explained in an interview with Guyana Chronicle.

Benschop said though he could not see the fake page via his page, it was family and friends who alerted him to the page called “Mark Anthony Benschop Guyana” a fake page to his official page “Mark Anthony Benschop”. The fake page also had the same profile picture as his official page.

“It didn’t surprise me, I’ve been around social media a little too long. They would come up with these dirty little things because they can’t beat you in proper debates so they come up with these silly little things they say, but when it’s time to prove it they can’t,” Benschop said.

He believes the page may have been created by supporters of the opposition, People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). “They created this page with my same photograph and they attempted to make a post saying that this is what Benschop said. The post said that if GECOM’s new chairpersons rules against house-to-house registration then I am calling for persons to riot, which is totally, totally fake,” he maintained.

Benschop said while his stance is that he supports house-to-house registration, he would respect any impartial decision made by Singh. “At no time have I ever called for any riot. In fact I wouldn’t and I am making that very clear, especially with this chairperson. Whatever decision she makes I will respect. Even if she rules against house-to-house registration I would respect her decision. But my basic stance is that people should be given the chance to register, all of my post on Facebook are favourable on house-to-house relationship,” Benschop said.

Benschop said he has reported the matter to the police and other authorities. He is unsure if the page has since been deleted or still exists.

“They can be traced through their IP addresses and if they think they can set up fake profiles without being caught let them think again because they can be caught. I have brought it to Mr. Ramjattan’s attention. I just want folks to understand that they can be sued for these libelous things that they are saying. And hopefully they are caught,” he noted.

First announced on July 26, the historic selection of Justice Singh, the first woman to be heading the electoral body, brought to a close weeks of deliberations between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, after the resignation of Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson.

Last June, the chairmanship became vacant after the CCJ ruled that the process that led to the October 2017 appointment of Patterson was flawed. Singh took the oath of office on Monday, 29 July, and on Wednesday, 31 July, met with the government and opposition-nominated GECOM commissioners in separate meetings. GECOM has three government-appointed and three opposition-appointed commissioners.

The government-nominated commissioners are sticking to their call for the continuation of house-to-house registration, which is currently ongoing. Opposition commissioners however are calling for house-to-house to be stopped and elections to be called by September. Following her appointment on Monday, Singh said that she will abide by the Constitution and the Laws of Guyana. “…There is only one way, in accordance with the law, and in accordance with the Constitution, and nothing else,” Justice Singh told reporters at her swearing in ceremony.