Wanton deliberate murder, then manslaughter
Hello Readers all, welcome to today’s miscellany; my potpourri of mostly practical “issues of national significance.” Bound to provoke some thought amongst citizens with time and interest in this still Big, Beautiful But Blighted Green Land of Ours.
The PPP’s Election Petition of 2015 after its narrow loss to the Brigadier-President’s Coalition outfit was not ever pursued to any completion.
The PNC – masquerading as APNU, plus the deadmeat AFC – has one Election Petition pending. What’s the objective of such an election petition? Simply and generally speaking the Coalition wants a Court to find that there were certain specific and general irregularities, illegalities, violations of procedure all governed by the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, the National Registration Act, the Local Democratic Organs Act, Election Laws and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Acts, along with the numerous orders and notices of GECOM – our Elections Management entity. The PNC also alleges fraud.
The Petitioners are seeking to legally (constitutionally) convince the Court that there are enough grounds to overturn the declared election results announced by GECOM’s chairperson last year. (Other verbs would be “vitiate” or “invalidate”). The PPP Government’s arguments naturally oppose that position.
But let’s be hypothetical briefly. Let’s imagine or assuming that the Court finds in favour of the PNC/AFC. (In court they say “APNU-AFC”). What would be the consequences of a “win” for the accusers? Most likely, overturned, nullified results would mean new elections! The judge would also likely say when!
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What? New Elections? Poor PNC…
It’s extremely out of order to comment substantially on any Court case pending or underway. So my imaginary outcome is obviously hypothetical.
A relevant digression: in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Jamaica and Trinidad have significant mountain ranges and populations and electorates hugely larger than Guyana’s. Yet because of structured, civilized, modern continuous electoral upgrading these two member-states and all others can call elections at very short notice. Our own blighted land is always unprepared. From no continual registration to suspect electoral lists to usual normal logistics, this country’s pre-electoral deficiencies are painful.
So could you imagine what a new sudden election would look like? And when?
Whatever happens in Court this is my frank perspective and assessment: if and whenever the next General Election is held, unlike 2015 and 2020 which saw slender majorities, this time the PPP folks will triumph more handsomely.
The current 18-to-40 electorate will easily recall the power-grab behaviour by the Brigadier-President/GECOM Secretariat machinery. That sullied forever Chairperson Singh’s Election Night declaration about a successful Polling Day. And even Deadmeat AFC dwindling support would have been embarrassingly – outraged by the ‘riggeritis.”
Not now the beneficiaries of government resources, the PNC would be hard put to finance early polls. (Even though hopes of an Oil-and-Gas “victory” would attract some ambitious donors.)
Frankly Speaking, should not the Granger/Harmon outfit enjoy its time-out ‘til 2025?
Discuss…
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Ram, Gaskin, analysis and entertainment
I confess to being an addict of American politics on American TV. GPL allows me to enjoy my Cable.
Last week Wednesday night, however, I discovered the Plain Talk programme hosted by Messrs Christopher Ram and Ramon Gaskin.
Now I’ve been a fan of these two gentlemen whose past political experience informs their current analyses. And they can’t be categorized as your typical PNC opposition “Young Turks” obsessed with regaining control and power. Ram is the more suave instigator who provokes his colleague’s ribald-like colourful responses.
Gaskin, on the TV feature, sought to enlighten that this government seems incapable of preparing and implementing long-term comprehensive, structured plans. For public health, economic development, the relationship with ExxonMobil, even regional and infrastructural works.
How I’d love to experience three ministers debating Gaskin. He lapses into creole like slang to share serious analyses. Like: “Frank Anthony trying but dey have three ministuhs of Health -, Anthony, Ramsammy and Berry”; “Trade unions not united; dey don’t talk to one another”; “and Duncan now on the local government commission”. “Dey got to maintain the Amerindian vote with hampers and the COVID grant”; “Dere is no structured agenda with defined priorities…”
Colourful delivery or not, the government fellows should listen to Ram’s and Gaskin’s objective criticisms. Biting without being offensively – political.
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Lives “slaughtered,” but not murder?
Often I regret not attending High school or university – (Law school). For even though an attorney-at-law acquaintance and other knowledgeables have explained to me why judges accept the lesser count of manslaughter, guilty pleas, I remain unconvinced.
Since our judicial system doesn’t accommodate capital punishment/death sentences why can’t there be more life-in-prison for convicted murderers? “Mitigating” circumstances? Not wasting the court’s time? Remorse?
In court a few days ago a fellow admitted to shooting dead a husband with 21 gunshots; a wife and little son were also riddled, but survived. The fellow also confessed to shooting a minibus passenger dead in the same year (2015).
The judge accepted the lesser pleas – just manslaughter – slaughter not murder. A prison year is short. Will he be soon out? Poor us.
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Ponder, consider…
1. Can’t the police come up with a master plan to reduce gun crimes in Sophia, for example?
2. How is the local investigation into the massive cocaine bust in Belgium coming along?
3. I agree – just as I wasn’t fond of the Brigadier’s name on boats, buses and bridges, I feel President Ali’s image should not have been on the St. Vincent relief packages. Propaganda? Vanity?
`Til next week!
