Dear Editor,
In the Friday May 24, 2019 edition of the Stabroek News there appears an annoying screed authored by Mr. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP, Attorney-at-law. This I find offensive and it is with this I now complain. The letter is headlined: ‘GECOM galloping ahead with house-to-house registration in defiance of constitution, courts’. For ease of reference, the following words appear: “GECOM and the Chairman harbour no qualms about exposing their political partisanship and are decidedly determined to execute political directions, even if it results in unconstitutional and irrational actions”. I choose to ignore the wrong grammar aforesaid and now proceed.
This not so subtle and gratuitous ad hominen attack on the Chairman of GECOM is one I deprecate. I am, as known to most, apolitical. For those who do not know I state the following: Since 1968 I have ceased to be a member of any political party anywhere, although there resides in me a restless social spirit. It therefore follows that in the Office of Chairman of GECOM I am a minion of nobody, and a factor of none. I owe fealty to no individual nor any political party. Mr. Nandlall, of Counsel, knows this and to launch a gratuitous and oblique attack on me, I find cowardly and reprehensible. I do not participate in the discussions of the Guyana Elections Commission except to keep the combatants at bay and to see that the gladiators maintain our version of the Queensbury rules. I execute these imperatives of my office pro bono publico, in the literal sense, with varying degrees of success. Mr. Nandlall of Counsel and many of his ilk, continue to use GECOM as campaign fodder. Nothing is wrong with that. The old adage says “all is fair in love and war”.
Despite the challenges current and those to come, GECOM, under my Chairmanship, will continue to execute its mandate sans fear and sans favour and according to the oath of office I took. Hostile and puerile interruptions such as those emanating from Mr. Nandlall have no basis in fact, and constitute unnecessary political humbug.
Yours faithfully,
Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson
Chairman
Guyana Elections Commission
