-Good Police, Bad Police
If we consider this pre–season of the Elections Campaign we may want to evaluate, even recommend, certain actions and activities related to that campaign.
For example, all of you who will actually exercise your right and your qualifications to vote would also be quite in order to request that the Elections Commission give you – the electorate – an almost weekly update on its preparation and/or readiness to conduct those polls. GECOM – the commission is the ultimate agency for the conduct of any national elections. So even when and if the government is not releasing funds in a timely manner, the electorate has the right to know what can impede in November or December. Now is the time to find out just what can impact on the conduct of the elections. Not after the fact.
And you who will actually vote, or want to vote must go, as civil society, and register your personal or group concerns. Don’t even wait on your Party, if you’re that attached.
But wait! What’s with the caption about getting out the vote. The Americans actually abbreviate the exercise to GOTV.
Of course, it begins with getting those eligible to register in time to go on the final roll. That’s passed. So now it’s time to motivate the registered thousands to actually become interested in the process. Interest must be converted into decision and action. You must make a choice. Then you should persuade others to share your choice – for good reason(s).
This is where your Party’s machinery, with all legitimate techniques at its disposal must kick in. Has the groundwork begun? Sure!
Now is the time to come up with a time–table or schedule of activities. From lectures to media and public relations work to neighbourhood visits to meetings and mass rallies. They all have their functions. I can just imagine the younger strategists and activists utilizing the technologies of the social/viral media.
But this I – a dinosaur – say: Nothing can beat the personalized community/ door – to – door outreaches. Candidates must greet every voter and their babies in every street and yard in every block. Naturally, your leaflets, manifestoes and television promos must convince those same folks about your policies and promises of the better life. Go too into “enemy territory”.
Now you consider six (6) ways to get people interested enough to actually make a choice and actually vote. For those who will be voting, you tell your Party to be ready now, with a four-to-eight week campaign sequence, whatever the young powerful president decides.
And you opposition dudes! Use all the pro-government concerts, exhibitions, visits of cricketers, Shilpa and Kartel to promote your party! Why this advice? Because lots of the funding-disguised or not – really belongs to all of us! Good luck all. I’ll miss the hustings but that’s history for me, frankly speaking.
Praying for the good police
Just the other day I was remarking to the driver how unfortunate it is – but how proud I feel – when the good police have to arrest their own who behave illegally, committing the same crime they are supposed to prevent or detect.
I spoke and speak against the background of being a “Police Child” of the forties/fifties. My sympathies and respect are always with our good police. For obvious reasons. And I’ve always been mindful of Lloyd Barker’s admonition – that the Force’s members have all been recruited from the imperfect society that is ours today.
But weekly, we, law-abiding citizens – and the crooked and bandits amongst us, are regaled with the illegal activities of rogue cops. So who will “serve and protect” us? The few good men and women in the force, I trust. However, consider what even the good cops must contemplate.
They would have known the public disclosures that both Minister Rohee and Commissioner Greene have had their American visas cancelled at one time or the other. The honest cops will wonder why – knowing that the Americans are not just spiteful to top functionaries of our State. The Good Police keep looking for Good Examples.
The Good Cops would have also read other public disclosures about Commander Merai and even the Crime Chief Persaud. Now comes the almost irrefutable allegations from the Kaieteur News – emanating from a meeting between the Top Cop and his senior subordinates. Congratulations are in order for the Kaieteur even though not many angels administer that outfit also. I’m no religious, practising believer of any faith, but in my own way I’ll pray for our Police Force. Please join me silently.
Now Ponder…
*1) Please return my $20,000.00 plus, Lands Commission. Why keep it if you’re allocating all the lands to the comrades, when I can’t get just a few acres applied for.
*2) Who is building on the large space left by the demolished Stats Bureau to the east of the Public Buildings? Who’s so lucky? So wealthy.
*3) Update on the High and Princes streets, Georgetown building scandal”?
*4) Careful CN6! It shouldn’t (?) be our business if very senior police officers own gold dredges. It’s their honest hard-earned cash!
*5) Thanks for writing Kojo Parris – our Man in South Africa. Now guess who’s Norway’s man in Georgetown! Is he strong on the LCDS?
*6) Boo! Y’all no longer speculating about the Jagdeo third term?
*7) Should a public airport not have public representation?
`Til next week.
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
