This was Published on June 16, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear\nEditor,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fifteen\nweeks following the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, it seems that\nthe process is coming to a close. This is despite the release of two conflicting\nreports submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission within the space of two\ndays: the first by the Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield who has a\nstatutory function under the Representation of the People Act and the other by\nthe CARICOM Scrutinising Team. Guyana owes a debt of gratitude to the three\nindividuals who slogged away for thirty-three days without interruption or any\nsign of flagging to help restore trust in our electoral system. President\nGranger praised then as \u201cthe most legitimate interlocutor on the Guyana\nsituation\u201d and the members of the team as competent to produce work of an\ninternational standard. Granger publicly expressed the wish that he would like\nthem to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nwas clear that Keith Lowenfield went way outside of his remit as set out in the\nrecount Order and made findings and conclusions that had no legal basis, even\nthough his report was endorsed by no less a luminary than Attorney General\nBasil Williams. I want to believe that Lowenfield made an innocent mistake in failing\nto understand what a summary is or the scope of his report. Mr. Lowenfield is\nnot an attorney and is probably not aware of the provisions of Article 163\nwhich makes the High Court the exclusive arbiter of matters relating to\nelections. More troublingly however is that Lowenfield felt it was in his power\nto disenfranchise close to 275,000 voters or 60% of those who voted. He does\nnot understand the principle of presumption of legality and the onus and burden\nof proof. Had he been better advised those legally elementary mistakes could\nhave been avoided as well as the ridicule being thrown at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nCARICOM Scrutinising Team has now made his own report into a series of\namateurish mistakes and it is now up to GECOM how to reconcile the two. Both\nreports are now being \u201cdeliberated on\u201d by GECOM whose chairperson\ncoincidentally is a retired judge. Despite the origin of their appointments,\nshe and the other six commissioners are under oath to honour, uphold and\npreserve the Constitution. She more than they would recognise that they do have\na fiduciary obligation to the electorate and to conduct themselves without fear\nor favour, affection or goodwill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As\nit is the Commissioners are political appointees under an independent\nchairperson. It would be truly unfortunate and unhelpful to our democracy if\nthe chairperson is forced to use a casting vote and it would go some way in\nrestoring trust in the factions of the electorate if the chairperson can\npersuade her fellow commissioners to avoid a vote and rather come to an\nagreement by consensus. As a long-standing Judge she no doubt has years of\nexperience in the adversarial court system and persuading rival sides to\ncompromise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But\nthere is one person who carries an even greater role and influence and that is\nthe APNU+AFC Presidential candidate David Granger. The elections were hard\nfought but it is time to bring it to an end. It is in the nature of competitive\npolitics that one side seeks to persuade the electorate that it is more\ndeserving of their vote than the other side. While defeat is always painful, it\nmust never be dishonourable and Granger will go a long way in restoring his\ncredibility and the dignity of the high office he holds if he would call the\nPPP\/C\u2019s presidential candidate to congratulate him, wish him well but signify\nto him that the Opposition is a legitimate part of the head table called the\nNational Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Granger\nmust rest assured that all the young people whose voices came to the fore were\nfighting not for the PPP\/C but for democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nimpending end of the electoral cycle solves only one of our country\u2019s problems.\nWe still have to deal with the coronavirus and now we are told that our\nTreasury is empty. The World Court will soon be engaged in our long-festering\nissue with Venezuela. Our differences should end at our borders and both\nPresident-elect Irfaan Ally and outgoing President Granger as nationalists must\nboth work towards the preservation of our sovereignty and territorial\nwholeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nis a lot resting on the shoulders of the GECOM commissioners and they need to\nput political differences aside and put Guyana first. But with Granger rests\nthe opportunity and the duty to place the national interest over partisan\ninterest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yours\nfaithfully,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This was Published on June 16, 2020 Dear Editor, Fifteen weeks following the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, it seems that the process is coming to a close. This is despite the release of two conflicting reports submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission within the space of two days: the first by the … <\/p>\n
\nChristopher Ram<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"