Despite his party’s continued campaign against the involvement of ex-security officials in the opposition coalition, President Donald Ramotar has issued an appeal to the members of the disciplined forces, urging them to vote for him when they take to the polls on Saturday.
“I ask you in all humility to once again repose your confidence in the PPP/C by re-electing me, Donald Ramotar,” he writes in an open letter that has been published as a paid political advertisement.
In the letter, Ramotar says that since assuming office, the PPP/C has tried to address the concerns of the army, the police force and the prison service, particularly through investments in resources and training. He says too that successive administrations have also “unshackled” the disciplined services from political influence.
“…I am aware that there is much scope for improvement in terms of all three organisations that comprise the Disciplined Services and I want to assure you of my unwavering support going forward, as together, we strive to improve the capabilities of your respective organisations and the well-being of their officers and other ranks,” he adds, while noting that he has been humbled by the support he has received as Commander-in-Chief over the last three years. Ramotar’s letter comes in wake of a declaration by former president Bharrat Jagdeo that trust in the military has been “broken” due to the involvement of ex-servicemen in the opposition. “I am concerned that their professionalism will be subverted. I am concerned that they will be asked to do things that they should not do as in the past. I am concerned that political commissars will be appointed not real soldiers coming up through the ranks,” he said.
“With the recent migration of a few heads of the army to the PNC camp, they have broken trust. A critical element is trust. When the Commander-in-Chief speaks with the Chief of Staff, they have to have trust among themselves and they have broken that because one day everything is perfect, everything is perfect, you’re working with us… and the next day, the day after you leave, suddenly you become bad, the executive becomes discriminatory,” he said in an apparent reference to ex-army head Gary Best’s endorsement of the opposition coalition APNU+AFC.
According to Jagdeo, the opposition will “subvert first of all, the professionalism of the army as they have done in the past and they will come for people. I believe we will return to those dark days.”
A total of 7,452 members of the disciplined forces are set to cast their votes on Saturday at over 64 polling stations across the country.
Chief of Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips expressed his confidence in members of the army, saying that soldiers were prepared and were adequately educated on the elections process.
Stabroek News was told by an army representative that the army collaborated with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ensure that 23 polling stations designated for the GDF were in areas aligned with the posting of soldiers.
This newspaper asked about provisions made by the army to ensure that personnel in far-flung areas will have the ability to reach polling stations between to exercise their franchise as the weather and terrain can become impediments. This newspaper was told that the polling stations were sited to ensure that personnel would not be handicapped.
Stabroek News reached out to Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield and asked the same question in relation to provisions made to ensure that GECOM staff would arrive at the polling stations. He said that for interior areas, staff was being flown in with all necessary materials.
When this newspaper inquired about terrain and weather being an obstacle, Lowenfield said, “All arrangements are in place.”
GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally yesterday expressed his confidence in the commission’s staff, saying that up to yesterday fail-safe plans were discussed in addition to the plethora of back-up plans to ensure that polling staff arrive with the necessary materials within the timeframe for voting to commence.
Surujbally said Lowenfield’s background in logistics allowed for his confidence in GECOM’s mechanisms.
This Saturday’s activities are being treated as a test run prior to election day on May 11th.
Surujbally told Stabroek News that the ballots had arrived, the indelible ink was here, staff was trained and GECOM was ready.
