Dear Editor,
The image of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has been seriously damaged by the worst electoral fraud in its history, according to a former challenger to party leader, Robert Corbin.
The charge came from Dr Richard Van West Charles, a son-in-law and protégé of party founder-leader, the late President Forbes Burnham, who dropped out of the bid to unseat Mr Corbin to back party stalwart, Winston Murray for the post at last weekend’s 16th biennial congress.
He claimed that once again, the party has been hijacked through an illegal process by personal agendas. “This debacle has damaged the image of our party. We will not stand idly by and allow our party to degrade over time because of reckless adventurism by a few. We recommit to our struggle to ensure democracy, fair play and justice in our party. We will keep the flame of hope burning,” he declared.
Amid charges of endemic fraud at the party elections on Saturday, the official results gave old-stager, Corbin, a wide victory margin over Murray, who accepted the results but is still open on his future role in the party. Corbin got 614 votes against 223 for Murray.
With Corbin still leading a seriously fractured party facing impending local government elections and general elections in 2011, Murray and Van West Charles tried to be optimistic about change in a joint statement. They thanked those “who were hopeful of change” at the congress, and said they were reflecting on the situation. “…we wish to indicate our commitment to keep the flame of hope alive, so that change can be brought about to give Guyanese a true feeling and sense of a new beginning. At an appropriate time, and not too long from now, a public indication will be given of future intentions,” the two said.
But in a separate statement, Van West-Charles argued that Corbin’s dismissal of irregularities at the elections “is an exhibition of a cavalier attitude, as the party’s image is seriously damaged by the worst electoral fraud in its history.” He added: “At the Congress, we objected to the distribution of wads of delegate cards by supporters of Mr. Corbin, who, in turn, were giving the cards to ineligible persons. Our strenuous objections did not deter these persons, who were operating with impunity. In one instance, a newly elected CEC member from Canada was caught red-handed with a bag full of delegate cards. Accreditation officials refused to confiscate the cards. “We wish to place on the public record that there was a breakdown of the voting process. The Returning Officer lost control of the process, and did not even establish the number of delegates present and entitled to vote. There was no effort by the Returning Officer to ensure a meticulous check of delegates entering the Hall. The roll call of delegates was so fast, that it resulted in mass entrance into the Hall. A number of persons not entitled to vote used this confusion to enter the Hall. “Our accredited scrutineers were prevented from monitoring the roll call and entrance of delegates into the voting arena by Mr Corbin’s aides.”
“We are aware that scores of persons from Sophia, in Region No Four, were bussed in to vote as delegates for another region. We also noted that the physical arrangements established for voting was not designed to prevent multiple voting. Hence, we affirm that there was massive multiple voting. A number of prominent members of the newly-elected executive were integrally involved in multiple voting.”
Van West Charles said that the entire process was fraudulent, from membership registration to voting, and that a full “report is being prepared for submission to the party’s secretariat, and it will also be available to all party members.”
Yours faithfully,
Aron Smith
