Dear Editor,
Mr Dominic Gaskin, executive member of the Alliance for Change (AFC) and former minister of the APNU+AFC coalition government, has distinguished himself by publicly sharing his opinion that Mingo’s declarations were acts of fraud done on behalf of the coalition. In doing so, he is claimed to be a witness to the event. He has now stated his position on the recount process, calling on the coalition to concede defeat and begin the work to recapture the swing votes for the 2025 elections.
I have no problem with Mr Gaskin stating his views on the elections crisis since it is his right to do so, and he must be respected for doing so. However, I am forced to seek an explanation from him on what in his view constitutes a seriously rigged election. This is important since one of the fundamental issues in the elections was the question of rigging, and the weight to be put on it in deciding the validity of the elections.
Mr Gaskin wrote, “The claims of fraud were grossly exaggerated and, unfortunately, designed to fool party supporters, who had placed their faith in the coalition, into believing that there was actual evidence of serious election rigging by the PPP-C”. My contention is with Gaskin’s denial that there was evidence of serious election rigging by the PPP/C. Without taking into account the numerous discrepancies, irregularities anomalies, etc., that was pervasive in all ten of the electoral districts, I am asking Comrade Gaskin to state his position on the 41 ballot boxes on the East Coast in strongholds of the PPP/C that only had ballots without supporting documents. Is this simply a coincidence that this took place on the East Coast and not randomly across the country?
Mr Gaskin can’t plead ignorance of not knowing that in Guyana even small amounts of rigging can determine which party wins an election. His dismissive approach to the PPP/C’s rigging despite the evidence unearthed in the recount process points to something other than objective and impartial analysis. As a politician, he can’t be “dumb” to the extent of not knowing the importance of exposing the PPP/C’s electoral fraud to the country and the world. It is infantile politics for him not to understand that exposing the PPP/C’s election wrongdoings is important to capturing the elusive “swing voters.”
While I am willing to give Comrade Dominic Gaskin the benefit of the doubt on the sincerity of his positions, I sense that he is playing to the “gallery” and as a politician, is entitled to do so.
Yours faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
