Dear Editor,
WHO would have thought that just how suddenly the election campaign began, it all would end just as suddenly, with the unforeseen declaration and swearing in of Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali as the 9th Executive President happening simultaneously. The timing coincided with Behnken and Hurley, tallying 64 days in space, undocking from the station on Saturday and returning home to land their capsule in calm waters off Florida’s Pensacola Coast on schedule at 2:48 p.m. ET Sunday, following a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon “Endeavor.” Was this an indication of blessings from Heaven coming down to earth, on a memorable Sunday that was the aftermath of a long holiday weekend, culminating a basic Indo-Guyanese and Afro- Guyanese religious and commemorative celebrations running consecutively. The eventuality of the ineffability effectuated an effervescence that illuminated the light at the end of the long and dark tunnel. The daunting weather was prevailing in glorious unpredictability, sending mixed signals for a sightless rainbow, and a continuity of uncertainty with overshadowed restlessness. Ole people say, “All disappointment nah bad luck,” and the soliloquy of this silent but thunderous reflection was mirrored plausibly when, publicly, the subjective doom and gloom was objectively groomed to bloom a full moon to shine its brilliance and dispel darkness. Indeed, we need to pause and thank the stars, for “What comes from above is blessings!” Sometimes, the rain does not fall on everyone’s doorsteps, even in the same street.

In a nation of diverse reactions, diffusion replaced fused tension in some domains and a lit fire ignited the flame of unresolved intention in other areas. Such is the reality provoking censored responsibility and subversive irresponsibility. As history has always borne testimony, you cannot please all at the same time; some people became divorced from possession to obsession, and others became married with satisfaction and compassion. Former president Mr. Granger did rightly and commendably call immediately on supporters to conduct themselves in a peaceful and lawful manner. In defiance of over five months, he had thwarted the will of the people and refused to concede to a defeat, contending for months that the creditable CARICOM recount result was flawed with inaccuracies, despite not producing any evidences to substantiate this claim. But, thankfully, that contentious matter was finally and safely put to bed peacefully and assertively, and may now be regarded as destructive water under a constructive bridge. While one chapter of the book was closed, the probability for another chapter being opened is potentially knocking on the door to rekindle the liveliness of, perhaps, an unending saga that needs to write a colourful story that may spill into an era of existential oblivion, characterised by incredulous persuasion and mischievous personification.

This unfortunate ordeal has been a nightmare for an adventure, and Guyana needs to put it at the back of the mind and quickly move on. As the returning astronaut, Hurley, told NASA, “This has been an odyssey.” But the perturbed question of what went wrong or what went right will linger in speculation for a while, and will not fade or disappear overnight. To remind us of this provocation, there are a few pending issues that are pertinent. One of them is that Mr. Granger wants to exercise a right, as is his prerogative, to further a legal recourse in challenging the result of the election recount that CARICOM had scrutinised and accredited.  Mr. Granger accepted the consequences of GECOM’s declaration, a suggestion that he conceded defeat and said his Coalition would be taking its electoral grievances to court after GECOM declares a winner in keeping with last week’s decisions by the Guyana Court of Appeal. An APNU/AFC Party statement said that “notwithstanding that declaration, the APNU+ AFC coalition maintains that the anomalies and irregularities which have been uncovered during the recount process cannot be accepted and will form the grounds for an election petition.” With the swearing in of the president, the way is now clear for him to present his case to an election petition court, and submit the evidences he claimed he’s always had. Or, was that a bluff and a creation from desperation? Will this event materialize, and how far are they willing and prepared to go, bearing in mind that the CCJ is not in the temperament for any fictitious and vexatious issue, especially if they have to be recalled from a holiday mood?
The other issue is that Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield was served with the court papers notifying him of three separate cases of private criminal charges instituted against him, after weeks of evading the summons issued by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty. Mr. Lowenfield, after appearing at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on July 24, was placed on G$450,000 bail for three private criminal charges of misconduct in public office, fraud and conspiracy to commit a felony. Candidate for The New Movement (TNM), Josh Kanhai, filed one of the charges, and Desmond Morian, a member of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), filed two of the three charges against Lowenfield. “Justice must prevail,” Kanhai said, “so that the will of the Guyanese people be respected.” Lowenfield will make his next court appearance on August 14. Justice Sewnarine-Beharry had said, “If the law is on your side, regardless of the identity of the litigant, you will win. If the law and judicial precedent are against you, you will lose.” She further stressed, “Justice must never be tied to political considerations and affiliation if we, as a democratic nation, believe in the Separation of Powers.” The nation was held ransom for five struggling months of depression and oppression, and this bitter lesson must not be allowed to surface its monstrous head ever again. Preventative methods must be implemented and the resolution through certain dissolutions must find itself as an inclusion for any conclusion.

This reality show commands the abandonment of a carefree or careless reaction and a second thought to infiltrate the minds of Guyanese to stop and carefully concentrate on these repercussions. This is a wake-up call to adopt a sense of direction for those who are lying by the wayside to reconsider their roles that they need to play to protect and provide for a safe society. It is also a challenge for others to redefine their purposes for serving their fellow sisters and brothers with the instruments of liberty, equality, justice and fraternity towards a common goal of peace, progress and prosperity for survival to live in togetherness as one people, one nation with one destiny. President Dr. Irfaan Ali said at his swearing in ceremony on Sunday that, “That future requires a strong Guyana and every Guyanese to play a part in building our country and ensuring we leave a better Guyana for the next generation. We are in this together. We are not separated by class, ethnicity, religion or political persuasion. We are united in the true Guyanese spirit.” Nation rebuilding starts right now and all Guyanese are urged to join in this patriotic call. Are you?

Respectfully,
Jai Lall