Dear Editor,
AT the hands of PNC/R Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) member Vincent Alexander, another dishonest, irresponsible, and baseless letter was recently published in the Stabroek News. The missive’s intended default and sinister contents blared into the public domain and many social media platforms with the emboldened, deceitful headline: “GECOM Chair voted against an extension of claims.” His recent feeble attempt at damage control after being glaringly exposed for his continuous patent untruths serves to fool no one.
Alexander seems unable to remove himself from the apparent pre-2020 mode when the characteristic PNC bullish overtures were flagrantly imposed “by hook or by crook” in attempts to overwhelm the election machinery. His continuous use of a vitriolic-laden pen to brazenly advance unjustified condemnatory attacks on the Chairperson of GECOM is nothing but another backdoor attempt at unleashing unqualified PNC-driven attacks, on the Honourable Justice of Appeal (Retired), Claudette Singh, SC, CCH.
The issue at hand relates to an APNU+AFC letter to GECOM requesting an extension of the period for Claims and Objections. The commissioners discussed the request and within 24 hours the commission took a unanimous decision to extend the period for seven days. There could be no misconstrued intent when one reads media articles conveying deliberately imbued falsities with the process.
In sharp contradiction to Alexander’s letter, at no time did the eminent Chairperson of GECOM vote against the APNU+AFC’s request for an extension of claims during the process of the Claims and Objections exercise. The incontestable fact is, the chairperson objectively and reasonably examined the motions and sought the views of PPP/C commissioners as key stakeholders in the process.
In a GECOM statement, the institution established that resulting from the initial discussions, “it was suggested and decided that the parliamentary political parties be consulted before a determination is made.”
Reliable sources subsequently confirmed that the chairperson approved this position which deposes Alexander’s baseless rants. Guyanese, therefore, must demand that the PNC leaders stop their relentless efforts to malign and tarnish the personalities of people of substance in our country. It must be noted that a mere seven objections were recorded during the first three weeks of the Claims and Objections exercise. It is heartening to know that the chairperson did not have to use her ‘casting vote,” since the decision to accept the APNU+AFC request was unanimous.
It is also pleasing to know that at the end of the process, the numbers suggest that GECOM is not likely to be burdened with the numerous objections that the PNC usually, and shamelessly makes without any substantiating proof. Further, the Continuous Registration exercise was also thorough, and all the political parties /stakeholders took part in the process without any negative comments at the end. This unanimous decision of the commissioners is a move in the right direction and with an acceptable Preliminary List of Voters, Guyana will be able to have Local Government Elections.
It is anticipated that the extension would serve to allow an extended acceptance period for the accommodation of all legitimate and evidence-based objections that ought to lend to further purging of the list of registered persons, qualified to be electors on the final official list of voters. From this perspective, the intent of the extension was supported by the PPP/C. After the process, there should be absolutely no talk of bloated lists, as the APNU/AFC/ PNC representatives should be using the opportunity to properly validate the accuracy of details presented to them.
Notably, Alexander alluded to persons turning up to make claims on September 13, only to be advised that the process was closed on September 12. The situation begs the question as to the reasons for the GECOM publication of the period of which Alexander and his party must be duly aware and do their homework! The many efforts to delay Local Government Elections by known suspects must not be ignored or condoned.
One suspects that the opposition will continue to advance efforts intended to frustrate all efforts by GECOM to hold early LGEs. However, when Alexander blatantly lies and continues to throw false innuendoes in contradiction to objective actions by the Chairperson of GECOM, is a clear indication of how desperate the opposition could get.
The opposition is disdainfully contemptuous in attempting to use its lack of preparedness to splash dirty water in the face of the chairperson and the nation. They need to accept that genuinely prudent work was done successfully during the soon-to-be-completed process to produce a proper Preliminary List of Voters (PLVs) which GECOM will use to hold the overdue LGEs.
GECOM must win the confidence of the electors and demonstrate the institution will hold free and fair elections. The eminent retired Justice Claudette Singh must assert herself and win the hearts of our people.

Yours respectfully,
Neil Kumar