Dear Editor,
It is clear now that the APNU+AFC is seeking to conjure up yet another reason for their loss other than the most obvious, which was bad leadership and bad governance. Not satisfied with abusing leaders of foreign countries, foreign organisations, our regional CARICOM, and our apex court, the Caribbean Court of Justice, the new mantra is “regime change”. The vast majority of Guyanese will find this mantra an imbecilic sermon befitting of its source.
Entering office on an extremely thin margin of 4,300 votes between the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C but only about 2,000 votes if the smaller parties were also accounted for, the percentage was 0.1%. Instead of showing Guyana that they would be the best government, they increased salaries of Cabinet ministers by 50%, broke their promises, neglected young people and young leaders, fired thousands of sugar workers, overtaxed both businesses and consumers, mismanaged the economic sectors and damaged our macroeconomic fundamentals, signed bad oil contracts, lied about and hid the US$18M signature bonus, engaged in wasteful spending, and increased corruption. This was all led by an aloof and oftentimes invisible president who breached the constitution more than once and who now holds the record for the least press conferences held in 5 years (3 press conferences in total – not even one a year). As a result, the people were dissatisfied. It was, therefore, not “regime change” which made the APNU+AFC lose the 2016 local government election. It was not “regime change” which made the APNU and AFC lose the 2018 local government election. It was not “regime change” which made the APNU+AFC lose the no confidence motion. In fact, most people on the street termed this government “the one-term government” and expected them to lose. The loss was not even close – it was almost 25,000 votes if the smaller parties are accounted for.
The foreign and local observers did not voice their stern position until the Mingo fraudulent declaration which was done before their very eyes at the Ashmin’s Building. As accredited observers, given what they witnessed, they were obliged to make statements and send reports to their superiors otherwise it would be dereliction of duty and possibly complicity. No shifting narrative will change what was witnessed.
Nonetheless, before seeking to awaken the dead, the APNU+AFC should start with the most obvious resurrection which is the release of their Statements of Poll which they claim they have and shows that they won the election. They can also seek to acknowledge Mingo’s fraudulent declaration which was unquestionably proven by the recount or offer an explanation for the 15,000 extra votes he found in that declaration which did not appear in the Statements of Poll and the ballot boxes when it was opened.
The APNU+AFC is partially right – there will be a change of regime, but it was the voters who would have caused it and the APNU+AFC should blame no one or nothing else but themselves.
Yours faithfully,
Charles S. Ramson
