Dear Editor,
PAY close attention to any pro-democracy or anti-dictatorship or pro-civil liberties protest around the world, and you are more likely than not to see a placard with the words, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This galvanising statement is attributed to Edmund Burke (1729-1797), who was an Irish parliamentarian and philosopher.

I saw the statement on a placard held by a protester in a Black Lives Matter anti-police-violence rally, and immediately wondered about how the ” good men” and women of Guyana, including owners and editors of print and broadcast media, have been reacting to the demonstrated irregularities and electoral fraud that occurred during our March 2 elections. I have to say that no contemplation was necessary, because the words “tabulation” and “Mingo” were all I could see in my mind’s eye, as they were what the “good men” and good women, self-proclaimed adherents of democracy, talked and wrote about.

So, I again thought about Burke’s words and said to myself that the only thing necessary for the demonstrated irregularities and electoral fraud of March 2 to triumph is for local and foreign adherents of democracy to point to Clairmont Mingo’s tabulation as the beginning and end of the fraud debate. But, in my view, history has already absolved Mingo and he is owed a debt of gratitude because his actions led to the recount, which has exposed the PPP as being nothing but sanctimonious on the question of rigging/electoral fraud. Guyanese now have the naked and incontrovertible truth on PPP rigging. No longer will Guyanese be fooled or be confused by the PPP’s furtive propagandising about electoral fraud. It is now up to GECOM to embrace history by refusing to allow electoral fraud to triumph in our country.

Given that GECOM’s six elections commissioners will split their votes along party lines, the decision on the recount rests with the vote of Justice Claudette Singh, who will, in my view, be heavily influenced by the content and tone of the report to be issued by the CARICOM observer team. I doubt that she will be swayed by the comments emanating from pay-me-to-make-a-statement politicians in the United States and elsewhere, malleable adherents of democracy from foreign places, and sycophants and their local benefactors waiting to add to their 23-year run on Guyana’s financial and other assets.

I hope that Justice Singh will make a decision that highlights and reinforces the need for adherence to every stage of our pivotal electoral process at polling stations. After all, widespread non-adherence in the strongholds of any political party must never be viewed as anything other than planned electoral fraud. I once again say that the only thing necessary for the demonstrated irregularities and electoral fraud of March 2 to triumph is for GECOM and the malleable local and foreign adherents of democracy to say or do nothing about the fact that the recount results are tainted by fraud and thus are not credible.

If any government is sworn in on the basis of the recount concluded on June 8, there will have been no greater act of mockery made of the word credible. Dictionaries define credible as, “Able to be believed; convincing.” It comes from the Latin word credibilis, which means “worthy to be believed,” Is there anything worthy to be believed, or anything convincing, or anything able to be believed that this recount is credible? Apart from the discovery of the most egregious and barefaced acts of skulduggery beneficial to the PPP, in the very region where the PPP has claimed it was barefacedly victimised, nothing else is “worthy to be believed” about this recount other than it includes thousands of votes that have not been validated.

So, it is nothing but contemptible disregard for democracy for anyone to ask or hope that this recount be accepted as the credible outcome of our 2020 elections. GECOM must not allow the evils of electoral irregularities or electoral fraud to triumph. Credible votes matter!

In closing, I would like to belatedly but most unreservedly condemn Gerry Gouveia for reposting a video that disparages the Black Lives Matter movement, which has gained worldwide sympathy and support in its valiant fight to end police violence against African-Americans and other minorities in the United States.

That Gouveia’s action took place in the midst of worldwide shock and grief over George Floyd’s heartless public murder conclusively betrays a mindset that many in the U.S. are being accused of proudly embracing. Thus, his mea culpa and apology must be rejected with the same haste with which he claimed he posted the racist video. Gerry, whether or not you accept it, Black Lives Matter. Yes, they do!
Regards,
Lionel Lowe