Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your newspaper to reply to a letter written by Mr Stephen Hiscock (‘Rupununi visit was a Gecom fact-finding trip,’ Sunday Stabroek, August 4).
Well, some members of the Guyana Elections Commission are aware of the close friendship between Mr Hiscock and the Chairman, Dr Stephen (Steve) Surujbally; after all the two Stephens got to be good friends, especially as he always spoke of the various types of jaunts both of them went on.
We also know how good the donor countries were and are to us, including the British. We shall always be grateful to them all.
Anyway ‒
a) Thanks to Mr Hiscock for confirming that the two families (his and Dr Surujbally’s) went on this to trip to Region 9 and to Brazil; also, that a Gecom vehicle went to Brazil.
b) Thanks for confirming that the two families also went to the rodeo.
c) Thanks for confirming that there was camping on this trip.
d) Thanks for confirming that it was on an Easter weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday – a holiday weekend to boot.
e) Thanks to Mr Hiscock for confirming that he did not meet Dr Mangal (Bud) on this trip, and you know what? Dr Mangal never said that he met him either, but that he met the Chairman. Does Mr Hiscock know by chance what their conversation might have been?
f) But could Mr Hiscock confirm for me which Gecom offices along the route to and in Lethem were open as he said on this Easter holiday weekend, and what work were they doing? Before he answers this, he should think carefully, as I am an Elections Commissioner and his friend can confirm that I pay strict attention to the details of what the staff are doing and when.
Thanks for confirming that half of Georgetown went on this holiday weekend to Lethem for the rodeo, and yet Mr Hiscock is expecting us to believe that Gecom offices were open for work and the staff and population of that predominantly Catholic community which started the rodeo, and where no one works even now during rodeo, waited for him and the Chairman to meet with them to discuss in April an election to take place in August ‒ five months away!
Thanks for agreeing with Dr Mangal when he wrote, “Leave my boys alone.” I will tell Mr Hiscock what Bud (Dr Mangal) really meant, ie, that on every occasion any Commissioner raised anything against the staff, namely, the Secretariat, for whatever wrong work they were doing, that’s what he usually said.
I am happy to know that the Chairman fully supported the permanent staff of the commission ‒ maybe that is why he voted against the CEO, Mr Boodoo, without due process being followed, and it was his vote that did it ‒ unceremoniously.
Anyway, I believe that the vehicle is still to be repaired. Can Mr Hiscock help?
By the way, for what did Mr Hiscock want Dr Mangal to apologise? He hasn’t mentioned that.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamood Shaw
Elections Commissioner
