Dear Editor,
The legal power to bring a speedy end to the tabulation of Guyana’s March 2, 2020 election, resides solely with the Chairperson of GECOM. This has been the reality since March 4, 2020.
Justice Singh has not utilized or sought to utilize the Region 4 State-ments of Polls to complete the add-ng and tabulation for Region 4.
Justice Singh has not instructed that the fraudulent Region 4 results be removed from Guyana Elections Commission’s website.
One assumes that thoughts and feelings must torture the Chairperson on a daily basis, through her conscience!
Yet, even now, the GECOM Chairperson can clear her conscience and use her constitutional power to quickly end this kabuki dance.
The cries of Commissioner Vincent Alexander must be ignored. The shameful and disgraceful echoing of Alexander by the other two Commissioners representing PNC-APNU, namely Trotman and Corbin, must also be disregarded.
The Chairperson has the casting vote to join with the three Commis-sioners from the PPP and end to the madness that has enveloped Guyana, with increasing mental timeouts: from mingo-schizophrenia to the magic dossier.
We have seen many justifiable requests in the media to use the Statements of Polls in a legal and transparent manner to conclude the adding and tabulation of Region 4 votes; and rightly so. A Region 4 completion of the Statements of Poll tabulation process requires two days at most.
Instead, Alexander and his echoing cohorts seem to be prevailing over reason, by howling to recount in excess of 450,000 ballots, to be conducted over an interminable period, that will be haunted by planned and unplanned delays.
Madam Singh has the casting vote to avoid the nonsensical and witless requests of the PNC-APNU Com-missioners. If ever there was a time for essential action to bring about democratic transition in Guyana, now is the time. Due to the Corona-virus – tens of thousands of workers are now unemployed in Guyana, our 30% plus poverty level pre-election, has probably doubled, many of our folks are living on the edge of starvation, physical and mental health has worsened, insecurity and crime have increased, there is no economic relief package from the illegitimate government and the International Community will not support the election aborters of democracy; decisive action is needed now.
Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh, has the power bestowed on her by the Constitution of Guyana to end the electoral shenanigans; and must avoid making vague, amorphous or indeterminate statements that diminish the responsibility and authority vested in her by the Supreme Law of Guyana.
Justice Singh must use the powers granted to her under the Constitution of Guyana and heed the wisdom of what David Granger said verbatim as Opposition Leader at a press briefing held two days after the Guyana National and Regional Elections of May 11, 2015: “We felt also that many of the requests for a recount were frivolous they did not have, no not frivolous, no reason was stated and that it was not sufficient grounds for more and more boxes to be opened and there seemed to be a deliberate plan to simply call for the opening of boxes in all ten regions in order to delay the possibility of having an early declaration, so we feel it is contrived and it is causing great distress to the population of Guyana.”
We also have the powerful aide to the then Opposition Leader stating on the same date, what needs to be done by GECOM; – Judgement of Harmon: “That the chairman of GECOM – that they will release all of the Statement of Polls that they have, they will release it this evening.”
The Logic of Trotman was also espoused at the same press briefing: “We believe that the request for recounts, though they have started, were done in error and that the Commission should not continue beyond those few that have started, because if not, we could have a ridiculous situation of boxes being opened throughout the country, and I don’t think that the country and the people of Guyana deserve that.”
Madam Singh should fulfill the exhortations made by Granger, Harmon and Trotman, as the statements are reasonable and sensible; and also applicable to the March 2, 2020 – General Elections. The requests by these gentlemen were made two days after the May 2015 General Elections. Now, fifty days after the March 2, 2020 Elections, we are still in Lowenfield’s wonderland, instead of having concluded a democratic transition.
The time is beyond overdue for Justice Singh to use the Constitutional Powers bestowed on her and end the kabuki dance with maximum speed, by formalizing and finalizing the simple Region 4 tabulation process using the Statements of Poll and not indulge in further diddle and delay by dancing to the cries of Vincent and his two acolytes.
Yours faithfully,
Nigel Hinds
