115,488 votes are not invalid???

Dear Editor,
As the Guyanese people lay mortally wounded, gasping for breath, the APNU/AFC continues to adamantly refuse to remove its knee from their throats but keeps on accelerating the pressure. Guyanese are crying out for reprieve but there seems to be only one conclusion: the coalition will rig itself into power using its stranglehold on GECOM, sanctions or no sanctions.

The recent utterances of Joseph Harmon and Granger leave no doubt about the outcome of the 2020 elections despite the echoing cries of the multitudes who requested Granger to concede defeat and allow for a smooth transition of a PPP/C Government.

Whilst Granger in his trademark duplicitous manner said that he is prepared to “live by” the elections results when it is declared by the GECOM Chair and will not interfere in GECOM’s work, he claimed that the Commission is “bound” by the fraudulent report submitted by the CEO, Keith Lowenfield, which sought to disenfranchise more than 115,000 voters. He thus gave his direction to the CEO.

I have always maintained that Granger is a deceitful man. In one of my letters, I had written: “Let Guyanese be not deceived! Granger is the leader of the Burnhamite faction which is resurrecting old tricks and creating new ones to rig the 2020 Elections”. This statement holds true despite some apologists stating that Granger is the “innocent altar boy”. The “sanctimonious gangster” is an apt label.

Granger’s statement came on the heels of a statement made by Joseph Harmon, who it seemed had set the tone. Harmon had said that “For those persons who are calling for Mr Granger to concede, that is not going to happen”. He questioned, “Concede to what? Concede to who? What is he to concede to?” and concluded that, “It appears to me, I’ll venture to say any right-thinking person, to be a most ridiculous and nonsensical proposition”.

Is it a “nonsensical proposition” when it is pellucid for all to see that Mingo attempted to rig the elections? That two false and fraudulent declarations were made based on Mingo’s tabulation? That Lowenfield presented a fraudulent report disenfranchising 115,844 voters without giving any reason? That the APNU/AFC allegations of dead voting and migration are without merit and substance? That the PPP/C won the 2020 elections?

Moreover, Harmon seemed to believe that a CCJ ruling in the coalition’s favour will allow for the swearing-in of Granger. What Harmon does not understand is that “valid votes” have already been determined by the laws which dictated the electoral process to be followed and which were followed. Section 87 of the Representation of the People Act clearly outlined the criteria to be followed in ascertaining a rejected or invalid ballot. The GECOM counting officials followed this process and credibility was preserved. It is these figures which must be used.

The GECOM Chair should recall her statement after the March 2 elections. She had unequivocally stated that “GECOM has delivered free, fair and credible elections”. She emphasised that “the elections were well run” and “the CEO and his hardworking Secretariat did a fantastic job”. A headline caption in the State-owned Guyana Chronicle read, “Elections was free and fair”. Indeed not any of the political parties disputed that the polling on March 2 was imbued with those characteristics. Now despite a recount supervised by the “most legitimate interlocutor” there is a deafening silence and a hesitation to use the recounted votes.

The CEO is a contracted worker and is subordinate and subject to the directions of GECOM and his fraudulent report is not binding on GECOM. The Chair of GECOM gave directions to the CEO to prepare his report based on the recount results and he clearly flouted these directions. Why has the Chair remained silent on this illegal act of the CEO? Why has she so far remained silent of Mingo’s fraudulent activities with regards to the Region Four vote tabulations?

There is no doubt that she has the power and the intelligence to bring a speedy resolution to these repeated attempts to rig the 2020 elections, but does she have the will to do so? Will Lowenfield’s fraudulent report be used as the basis for the declaration? What is the basis for the invalidating of 115,844 votes? Why is Granger so confident that this report will be used? There is no doubt that some officials in GECOM are on the coalition’s payroll.

This is so despite the conclusion of the Caricom report which stated that “We are…of the unshakeable belief that the people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box and as a result…the recount results are completely acceptable”. The recount showed that the PPP/C won by 15,416 votes. Granger had said that “I’m very confident in Caricom’s ability and integrity…and is the most legitimate interlocutor”. Therefore, the question is: What is preventing the Chair of GECOM from declaring the results of the recount even if Lowenfield has failed to do so?

The Chair must use her office to stop these many nefarious attempts to rig our elections. We need to breathe freely once again. Our patience is waning. One last question: Will the courts facilitate the rigging of our election?

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf