Dear Editor,
THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), must be congratulated for commencing the Claims and Objection process. This will enable all stakeholders to peruse the Register of Registrants, in pursuit of confirming the necessary verifications of additions and deletions of the names of persons that should transparently remain on the list. By so doing, GECOM signals a positive forward process but has drawn rasping convenient reactions from the Opposition Camp. The Commission should not be worried about the sinister wind blowers.

Since becoming Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton has utilised his biggest platform yet to hasten the exposure of his impotent leaderless strategy of the inexorable fragmenting coalition. His recent ranting and raving over the Voters List and unjustified call for the resignation of the eminent Justice Claudette Singh from the Guyana Elections Commission, lacks basis and is nothing but wind in a desperate effort to propagandise race-based confidence into the few remaining hopefuls.

Norton’s ride on a wave of fallout support from those in the PNC in the camp who have reacted to the coalition’s loss at the 2020 General and Regional Elections has become bumpier and more unpopular for the wrong reasons. It appears that he should rather be working hard to strengthen his internal position and relationship with the few remaining Coalition partners. The obvious diminishing returns have resulted from his failure to command the perceived and promised aggressive dent in the PPP/C Government’s progress, and in gaining national confidence and influencing international recognition and support.

Rather, Norton has become more associated with attempts to damage control his disappointingly consistent public blundering, focused on a race-driven and hatred infatuation with the Hon. Vice- President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo whose productive performances and sense of nationalism he could never match! With a sense of lost objectivity and non-politic behaviour characterised by a lack of diplomacy in dealing with President Ali, his displays have realised an embarrassing loss of face rather than gains in strengthening and confidence. Comparatively, President Ali’s and the PPP/C’s admirable work have been creating nightmares for the Norton-led PNC/R clan.

Consequently, there is no doubt that Aubrey Norton has resorted to gambling in the high-stakes engagement of attempting to challenge the Chairwoman of the Guyana Elections Commission who was previously approved as the best-proposed candidate by the previous leadership of his PNC Party while he was involved as a senior executive. Albeit hypocritical, the situation reflects the characteristic nature of the PNC and the ‘Creature’ referred to by former PNC/R leader and President of Guyana Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte (deceased). He cannot put up any legitimate or justified argument why this should happen as long as he has, as claimed, the undisclosed fake SOPs from the 2020 elections.

Editor, Norton and the PNC’s glaring doctrine of convenience cannot be made more apparent. They cannot pretend to be unaware of the GECOM’s Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh’s role as the Head of a Statutory Constitutional Body whose Office must be respected. Further, the conduct and holding of elections are not entrusted to politicians, but GECOM and the institution must be fully prepared to hold elections on time providing that the government ensures the necessary fund for the proper functioning of the organisation. There is verifiable evidence that the PPP/C had done so. However, it is also important for GECOM to make sure that they are accountable and provide a fully audited report to the nation.

Recent experiences dictate that there must be a clear and written role of GECOM Commissioners and GECOM Secretariat as delegated by the Commission. The Commissioners are to decide on policies and the Secretariat must implement the decisions of the Commission. Further, it is recognised that because of the peculiarity and the situation in this country, the Chairperson of GECOM must be a strong and professional person. Norton’s latest outbursts that the PPP/C Government does not want to hold Local Government Elections must be rubbished. Monies were allocated in 2020, 2021, and 2022 National Budgets for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs) with a mammoth allocation of $4.1 billion this year for the intended purpose.

It is the practice and the usual cry of the PNC to say that the list is padded, but it must be noted that the PNC/WPA/AFC and now APNU never won at LGEs. While they are criticising the List of Electors currently, it was the same list that they did not hesitate to use in 2016 and 2018 to hold LGEs. Of note, however, when they catapulted themselves into government in 2015, the ‘defector’ APNU/AFC Government hastily went to Parliament and changed the law to decide that a period of Continuous registration will give legitimacy to the Voter’s List for six months. In addition, the APNU Coalation without the necessary consultations went on a ‘Gerrymandering spree’ changing selected electoral boundaries to win more seats. The PPP/C is calling for the holding of LGEs now and GECOM must act following the institution’s constitutional mandate.

Norton’s empty barrel wind howling and outbursts are synonymous with his characteristic creaturelike status in the PNC, and while he calls for the resignation of the Chairperson of GECOM, he must not forget how he was rudely removed from the position of PNC General Secretary, he was rudely kicked out of Parliament and was shamefully removed as the PNC District Chairman in Georgetown. Norton was never given a ceremonial handshake as he was kicked about the place and, therefore, cannot relate to handshakes! Guyanese are awaiting his replacement as the leader of the PNC. Guyanese must unite and work together for a better Guyana.
GECOM must bring on LGEs soonest.

Yours sincerely,
Neil Kumar