Former army chief Joe Singh has called on President David Granger to exercise leadership and direct with the Guyana Elec-tions Commission (GECOM) a recount of the ballots cast in the March 2 general and regional elections.
“It is now your duty to exercise the leadership responsibilities vested in you, and to direct with GECOM, the peaceful and orderly completion of the electoral process by ensuring the mission is accomplished, that is, the agreed recount of all ballots cast in the Guyana 2020 General and Regional Elections, in an environment conducive to security, transparency, integrity and the credibility of the results,” Singh wrote in an open letter to Granger, published in today’s Stabroek News.
Over two weeks later, the results of the March 2 polls are yet to be officially declared with the contentious count of the Region Four vote labelled as not credible by a number of stakeholders, including international observers. Several matters related to the tabulation and declaration have been filed in court with one challenging a recount set to be heard tomorrow.
In his letter, Singh, a retired Major General of the army, suggested that Granger was being manipulated. “I am placing my neck on the line that you are being manipulated by persons who do not have the best interests of our beloved Guyana at heart and who are prepared to hold you hostage to their own evil intentions and to manipulate you and the Constitution of this country to achieve their own personal and collective goals, unbothered by the catastrophic impact their actions to date are having on national morale, on the fears and anxieties of all Guyanese, whether or not they are supporters of your political party,” he wrote.
Pointing to his record of service in several positions under different administrations, including serving as a Special Assistant to Granger, Singh highlighted that he holds no brief for any political party and said that his loyalty is to the Constitution. I record these things…to emphasise that there are certain principles which must be held as sacred if we are to live our lives in unselfish service to our country and to our fellow citizens,” Singh said.
“You are at the crossroads, where you have to now choose between pandering to a cabal who bode you no good and who certainly do not have the national interest nor your interest at heart. In their warped, self-centred way, they are manipulating the Constitution, the supreme law and their allies in various national institutions and services of this land, to serve their purposes,” he wrote.
“It matters not to me which political party has the majority votes and forms the government. What matters to me, and I am sure to all right thinking Guyanese, as well as the regional and international community, is that the electoral process reflects the will of the people. A democratically held elections, managed through processes that reflect transparency, integrity and adherence to the rule of law and to the Constitution,” Singh said.
The former army chief wrote that he was puzzled by the fact that an election which, for all intents and purposes, went smoothly on March 2, “has degenerated into a witches’ brew of mismanagement by GECOM, misinformation, threats, violence, excessive use of force, manipulation of officers and ranks, and propaganda spun by spin doctors weaving a web of deceit and in which you seem to be entrapped.”
Absolved
“The assessments of accredited local, regional and international observers must have been known to you and yet you seemed to shelter under the false premise that because you allowed the GECOM to function without interference, you were somehow absolved of complicity in the deteriorating governance of the electoral process which has made this country the laughing stock of the region, and which is rapidly degenerating into a pariah State in the assessment of those who, rightly or wrongly, are the determinants of what constitutes a failed State,” Singh contended.
He recalled the intervention of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), whose Chair, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, had fielded a team to supervise a recount of the ballots, which was agreed to by Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Singh noted that after this attempt was aborted, Mottley said that, “It is clear that there are forces that do not want to see the votes recounted for whatever reason” and “Any Government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count process would lack legitimacy.”
Singh asserted that Mottley made “serious allegations” and since Granger was the one to request the CARICOM team to supervise the recounting of the ballots, “I believe we are owed an explanation from you Sir, as to what conspiracy is afoot that would sabotage your laudable initiative…”
“That such a commendable initiative should be stillborn as a result of an Injunction originating from your own party, sends a worrying message that either you are being Machiavellian, or being manipulated, or you have simply lost control over the actions of members of your own inner circle. Whatever may be the reason for this embarrassment to you, to us citizens, and to our country’s image, it is no trivial matter. If the minions who are behind this conspiracy are not identified and excised like a cancerous tumour from the body politic, we will all suffer from the contamination and the penalties we are likely to be faced with are an illegitimate government and being deemed a pariah State,” Singh declared.
“Mr President, I have always held you in high esteem as a colleague and friend of nearly six decades. I have forgiven you for classifying me and other nominees for the Chairmanship of GECOM as not fit and proper persons but I will not forgive you if you fail to do the honourable duty of calling off the Dogs of War, excise them condignly from wherever they are hatching their moves and counter moves,” Singh asserted.
“We, long suffering Guyanese, fooled by mirages of a good life, are hurting, are embarrassed and are angry. Let this poisoned chalice pass Mr President. If you feel you are boxed in a corner and need reinforcements, then there [are] enough Guyanese of goodwill and decency who will rise to the occasion and ensure the recount is completed transparently and with alacrity. Whichever political party is finally declared to have the majority votes, must be acknowledged as legitimate and be allowed to form the government. Such government must be prepared to govern in the best interests of all Guyanese and with such inclusivity and consensus as will facilitate a sustained process of reforms that all have promised yet failed to deliver to successive generations,” he wrote.
In urging a recount, he said that if this succeeds, it will be a positive contribution to Granger’s legacy.
