Dear Editor,
Respectfully, please permit a response in accordance with Shawn James, “We need a clean list”, in the Guyana Chronicle of August 30, 2019.

Of course, I fully support James’ position that such voters’ list is an absolute for any national elections, inclusive of Guyana, and irrespective of the glaring dishonest claims and fraudulent arguments against the methodology for achieving same. So much has been written in your pages, ad nauseum, about such a necessity that it may have perhaps, taken on a monotonous tone. However, since it is an issue that is consistently being twisted and distorted in all strange directions to suit deceptive mental securities.

Shawn James has quite rightly referred to a Nutana Singh’s letter that has been published in the Stabroek News of August 26, 2019, making what are not only “erroneous’’, but deliberately twisted claims to suit the current PPP/C disgusting lies being peddled.
Nutana Singh must be reminded that such responsibilities of the state, in terms of protecting the “just rights’’ of its resident citizens overseas, as represented through its consulates, certainly cannot include non-resident Guyanese, meaning persons not resident in Guyana at the time of house-to-house registration for voting purposes, or when such verification is being done, as James has correctly underlined. It would seem that Singh believes that her scenario must fit Guyana into the category of a State that has overseas territories, in which its citizens are entitled and allowed to participate in the mainland electoral process. Unfortunately, Guyana is not in that category, as a State with overseas territories, such as France, or the United States.

This is another PPP/C concoction, being publicised through one of its supporters, as Singh undoubtedly is.

It is another crooked example of attempting to twist the law to suit her groundless case. In fact, Nutana Singh is here reminded that there are provisions for the Chief Immigration Officer to inform GECOM of those citizens who have departed Guyana for periods of more than six months, and that their names be removed from its list. The reason is simple – they are no longer in Guyana, and cannot be part of any national electoral process; and this extends to deceased persons. Why should such a category of Guyanese not be removed from the national electoral list, especially when they are dead, is best understood by the dishonest minds who do not support a clean voter’s list.

A suspect voter’s list is a prelude to very serious national crises, with untold consequences, and it is only those imbued with the intentions to support rigged elections would espouse such groundless representations for its existence. It would be a national tragedy if the Nutana Singhs are allowed to have their way.

Regards
Carla Mendonca