Dear Editor,
MARCH 2, 2021 marks one year since the PNC/APNU+AFC tried to steal the right to govern Guyana by attempting to disembowel the overwhelming choice of our citizens at the General and Regional Elections. The consequential threat to the civility of our nation and its likely impact on the CARICOM Region as a collective has not been greater since the return to democracy in 1992.

It is therefore pleasing and even sweeter to see a united Guyana celebrating and recognising the triumph. Notwithstanding, this nation must have the assurance that the PNC and GECOM riggers will never be allowed to hold us to ransom again. The notoriously venal group within the GECOM Secretariat, conjured up a sequence of events that brought the curtains down on the most wicked onscreen dictatorship show to have occurred in the CARICOM Region or perhaps globally in decades.

While the March 2 Elections Day casting of ballots was peaceful, Guyanese will never forget March 5 when David Granger and his cabal tried to “CHOOK” the Guyanese people in their eyes. Clairmont Mingo was just the pawn in the game of the false spreadsheet representing an attempt to rig votes in Region Four. What the “riggers” did not contemplate, however, was the robust confrontation with the party representatives in the presence of the powerful international observers, which resulted in the merging of the most significant united front in Guyana.

The national Guardians of Democracy must be recognised for the national unity they forged in the nation. The relentless pursuit of many involved in the day and night guarding of containers of ballot boxes was achieved in threatening all-weather conditions and at the risk to their lives. Together with the outspoken pressure from the diplomats in Guyana, forced the PNC cabal to make serious mistakes in their clandestine and eventually, ‘don’t care’ public spectacle.

The overwhelming nasty public insults and open threats to expel the observers were taking very seriously by the diplomats. The APNU+AFC shamelessly denied the reputable Carter Center International mission entry to Guyana to overserve the now ‘Infamous” recount was also a serious slap in their face because they knew that they lost the confidence of the nation and were effectively voted out based on the tally of the Statements of Poll (SoPs). The court cases after court cases were all used to delay the election results and frustrate Guyanese people. The fact is that the PNC and elements at GECOM were hell bent on thieving the government!

At the time of writing (March 5, 2021), it is recalled that the nation witnessed the unacceptable obnoxious behaviour of elements in the opposition as they falsely proclaimed victory based on Clairmont Mingo’s unacceptable pronouncements. The subsequent Keith Lowenfield abominations could not have been more revealing of the scheme, since it is known that he had evidence of the SoPs and must have known the final vote count.

It is for the mentioned and other surreptitious agendas executed by Keith Lowenfield and his cohorts that have been subsequently linked to the plot, that the absolute divorce of these unworthy elements from GECOM must be attended, to inform an acceptable institution. Further, it is also necessary that a review of the fixing of boundaries for some Local Government Areas, that were subtly changed by Lowenfield to confuse PPP/C strongholds or rather, effect an advantage for the PNC.

The PPP/C Government has allocated more than one billion dollars for the Local Government Elections this year, and GECOM will have to cleanse itself from unscrupulous persons before any spending commence. There can be no “House-to-House’ registration before this year’s LGEs. So GECOM must do what they must do, first of all, get rid of all the “riggers” and those persons who held this nation at ransom for five long months.

A smooth period of continuous registration along with a period of claims and objection will be sufficient to update the list in preparation for the LGEs. The Chairperson of GECOM must act and be very decisive in respect to the ‘riggers’ who are before the court. Guyanese must hold GECOM accountable.

Certainly, the Chairperson and the Commissioners at GECOM cannot be thinking that the Guyanese people will accept any less. As such, we look forward to the immediate assertive measures that will guarantee the preservation of a truly democratic environment and prevent the development of future ransom conditions.

Yours sincerely,
Neil Kumar