Granger-led coalition “likely” to win next “close” election -US Congress report

As Guyana gears up for elections on March 2, I join with so many others in urging the small parties to form a pre-election coalition so that they can secure enough seats to ensure a minority government, and thereby hold the balance of power in parliament, something the AFC could have achieved in 2015. This would ensure that the government of the day is unable to operate in the manner the PPP and PNC have done in the past and could bring back a great deal of accountability, transparency and focus on people's welfare.

60 days to election

Change Guyana Leader Robert Badal has flayed President David Granger over his New Year’s address containing plans for the coalition government if re-elected.

Badal in a statement noted that Granger said that his Coalition’s plan for the next decade is based on four pillars. The Green State, The Digital State, The Petroleum State and the Education Nation.

The President (has) shown us yet again his party’s lack of vision and the obvious contradiction between his plan and his performance over the past four and a half years.

Dear Editor,
Our friend Freddy laments that many of his friends including new national hero, Charrandas Persaud, are going back to the PPP. That group also includes me. The PNC failures have forced me to go back too because the “litmus test” for me is which of the big two parties are more likely to give up power when defeated or when the court has ruled, and which party will not willingly give up power once the court has ruled, but would rather keep power by any means necessary. The PPP followed the Constitution and gave up power twice, but the PNC refused and dragged it out for 15 months, rigging an extra year in office although defeated by the No-Confidence Motion. So the PNC made itself illegal again, just like the old Burnhamist times. It should not be that every time the PNC is in power, you have to launch a struggle to win back democracy. Freddy, that’s why people have gone back to the PPP.
The PNC violated the trust many crossover voters placed in them by becoming the “exchange”, not the “change” they promised to be. They are not promise keepers, not keeping promises to the AFC nor the nation. Months into their reign, the enormous goodwill the PNC coalition received was evaporated as the PNC took the wrong trajectory and gave us many scams from the unneeded D’Urban Park, drug bond scandal, to hiding oil money received, many many procurement scams, the sellout of oil, and land and resource grabbing on their way out. Freddy, that’s why people have gone back to the PPP.
The worst was the PNC’s undemocratic nature in Granger and the PNC raping the Constitution in refusing to dissolve the Cabinet and hold elections within 90 days as required. Granger’s refusal to honour the Carter Formula in appointing the Chairman of the Elections Commission, and referring to Judges’ decisions as their mere opinions and that he has opinions of his own, revived the ghost of unbridled
Burnhamism. The lowest point of the PNC was their party leader reportedly saying, “The only friends I got is PNC so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC and right now I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese and ah want one that is PNC” (KN, Nov 30, 2018). That statement has killed her politically – there is no recovering from that! We had such doctrines of “paramountcy of the party” under the first PNC and it pauperised our nation. Freddy, that’s why people have gone back to the PPP.
When we look daily at pictures of who is graduating from training programmes or who is getting PNC goodies, or who is being appointed to committees and commissions, it is nauseating that the PNC has little sensitivity to diversity. The Berbice economy was virtually closed down and the Inquiry Report into GuySuCo was not implemented. The sugar workers had to sue for their severance. They are not enjoying the “good life” the PNC promised. Yet, Murtland Williams was upset that Mr Jagdeo said people were going hungry (KN, Dec 21, 2019). Freddy, that’s why cross-over voters have gone back to the PPP.
The Office of the President has recently been playing up Granger going to church. To win again, he will need a miracle of God turning PPP votes into PNC votes. Should Granger not be going to confessionals instead and atone for violating the Constitution with PNC math that says 33 is not the majority in a 65-member Parliament, which was the basis on which they got into Government?
Freddy, that’s why cross-over voters have gone back to the PPP.
Sincerely,
Jerry Singh

DEAR EDITOR,

Conversations with leaders and/or representatives of the newer small parties reveal that they are struggling with funding and meeting the requirements to appear on the ballot for the March 2 elections. Everything seems to be going against the minor parties.
The deadline to file nominations, as announced by Gecom, is January 10, some 40 days before the actual voting on March 2. This is the longest period ever allowed before nominating and voting day. The general trend was about 32 days in all previous elections. The smaller parties can do with the extra week to make the ballot, especially given the fact that the country is coming out of the holiday period when the public is not taking on politicians. No plausible reason has been offered by Gecom why it needs 40 days to prepare a ballot.
It is a heavy burden on small parties to qualify for the ballot, especially that they don’t have much funds to travel around to get signatures to support their list and candidates. People are fearful to sign nominations; worried they will be victimized. The leadership of some minor parties I interacted with said people have told them that they will vote for them and even give them donations off the record, but they don’t want to be identified with the minor parties or sign their nominations for fear of losing their jobs or perks or contracts.
Yours truly,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Leslie Ramsammy
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There is something ominous emerging - an effort to stymie religious diversity in Guyana. There is a sort of declaration circulating, supposedly from the Ministry of Public Health. It insists it is making a declaration on the basis of the word of God. The first article of the declaration is as follows: "We declare the Lordship of Jesus Christ over the health sector, and that the year 2020, we will fear God and obey his commandments". If this is an official document of the Ministry, it is another example of the total abrogation of the constitution. It is also racist. Is the Ministry of Public Health under the David Granger-led APNU+AFC disavowing the legitimacy of the Islamic, Hindu, Bahai, Rastarafian and other religious groups in Guyana? Will people who are not Christians not be the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health anymore? As I write this a young pregnant lady whose "water bag" already broke was just sent away from Diamond Hospital and told to come back. She is presently sitting in a nearby business waiting to go back into the hospital. Has she been abandoned?

Granger grabbing everything