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COULD DR BISRAM SAY SAY WHY JAGAN/PPP KEPT THE FRUIT OF RIGGING ? THE “ BURNHAM “ 1980 CONSTITUTION
Dear Editor,
I write in response to Dr Vishnu Bisram’s letter, “ It is still not understood why the effort to rig the election was after, rather than on election day” ( SN 26th April 2022 ). I would have liked to deal with the rigging of the elections on election day at the level of the ballot box via ID card harvesting and phantom voting but I don’t think my views would be published although that was what the recount process unearthed. Instead I will challenge Dr Bisram, who earned a PhD, to deal with the question of why did Cheddi Jagan, and the PPP, keep the fruit of election rigging? Why did they keep the “ Burnham “ 1980 Constitution? I really don’t expect a PhD to regurgitate propaganda. My own views follow.
Although that Constitution was adopted in 1980 after the rigged 1978 referendum and the rigged 1980 elections, its genesis goes back to the early 1970’s. After the rigged 1973 elections Cheddi Jagan and the PPP embarked on a campaign of civil disobedience. In 1974 Burnham’s PNC declared that the PNC would embark on Cooperative Socialism. In 1975 Jagan’s PPP, which at the 1969 Congress had stated that it was a “ disciplined Marxist Leninist Party with fraternal ties to the USSR, declared Critical Support for Burnham’s PNC. In 1977 the PPP called for a National Front with the PNC and in 1978 it called for a National Patriotic Front Government between the PPP and PNC.
In March 2017 at a Carter Centre forum at UG Ralph Ramkarran said that Burnham’s response to Jagan’s call for a National Front Government was that the Westminster Constitution did not allow such a Government. In July 1978 the Referendum to end all referenda was held and rigged and thus pushing elections to 1980. In 1978 the drafting of the 1980 Constitution began. One can safely say that it was to accommodate the National Patriotic Front Government between PNC and PPP which Cheddi Jagan had called for. However in public Cheddi Jagan and the PPP opposed the 1978 Referendum and the new Constitution which would keep the vestiges of a multi party state but in fact create a defacto one party state with an all powerful dictatorial executive Presidency as in Socialist/Communist countries such as Cuba and the USSR.
In public Cheddi Jagan opposed the Constitution and pledged to revert to the Westminster model but upon his assumption to the Presidency in Oct 1992 he kept the “ dictatorial Burnham “ constitution. The day after he was sworn I had a meeting at 8 am with Dr Jagan at Freedom House to discuss implementation of my proposed National Security Plan. He said to me, “ Don’t worry with that. The Cold War is over. I was assured that I will be allowed to rule and that I won’t be destabilised.” I asked him when he was going to scrap the Burnham Constituton and he asked me, “ Malcolm, do I look like a dictator?”
It dawned on me that Cheddi Jagan knew all along that so long as he was Communist, pro USSR, and anti American, he would not be allowed to assume power in Guyana yet he fooled his supporters into thinking that Burnham’s PNC was the cause of his failure when it was his own doing. Cheddi Jagan was the cause of rigged elections in Guyana. We can safely say that he also knew all along that the “ Burnham Constitution “ was being drafted to facilitate the National Patriotic Front Government between the PNC and the PPP yet he publicly opposed it thereby deceiving his supporters. Not only did the PPP keep Burnham’s Constituency but made it even more dictatorial with the Recall Bill. After 42 years we can see party dictators and defacto one party rule. It shows that the PPP never valued western democracy. It was all about power at any cost.
Yours Sincerely,

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It is still not understood why the effort to rig the election was after, rather than on Election Day

April 26 ,2022

Source

Friends were recently reminiscing about the attempted rigging of the March 2020 elections. Rigging (wholesale electoral fraud, manipulation of the electoral list, voter count, ballot stuffing, capturing of polling stations and ballot boxes, changing of count, switching ballots, etc.) is not exclusive to many countries. We have experienced almost all of the preceding in Guyana in elections from 1968. One political party was primarily responsible for those kinds of activities in Guyana.

The rigging in Guyana in the elections of 1968, 1973, 1978 (referendum), 1980, and 1985 took place before the actual date of the elections. The incumbent could not win with the rigging (ballot box stuffing) in 1992 because the margin was too large to make up. Pre-rigging was difficult as the Carter Center monitored the voters’ list. Reputable observers were watching, making it very difficult to engage in massive fraud to claim a victory as in earlier elections. It was almost impossible to rig some 10% of the vote on Election Day. There was some rigging like booth capturing in traditional strongholds of one party. The riggings of pre-1992 were well planned and executed making victory possible especially when western powers were on the side of the regime to keep out the communists. In 1992, the western powers demanded free and fair elections because the communists were no longer a threat to western interests. Massive rigging was not permitted, and therefore it was impossible for the incumbent to manipulate the numbers to such an extent to win over 50% when its traditional base had consistently remained around 40%.

The coalition won in 2015 because of some 11% brought by AFC. The coalition lost support when it closed the four estates, terminated Amerindian and Indian workers at other jobs, denied the rice farmers the promised minimum price of some $9000 a bag for paddy, arrogance of Ministers, the refusal of AFC to stand up to eye-pass of its supporters, over-taxation, poorly negotiated oil contract, hiding the US$18 M oil bonus, among other factors.

If the leadership or high officials of the regime felt they were going to win the elections, they fooled themselves. Victory was not possible without rigging. In fact, it was hinted at a meeting in Atlanta two years earlier that in order for the coalition to win, it had to rig as it did pre-1992. Any plan to rig the 2020 election through manipulation of voter IDs and the voters’ list was circumvented in the defeat of the December 2018 NCM election and the reversal by the CCJ of the validation by the (2-1) Court of Appeal of the appointment of Patterson as Chair of GECOM.  Had the coalition won the no confidence motion and or the ruling on Patterson’s appointment, the coalition would have a free reign ‘to win’ the election. The no confidence motion saved the country from a rigging and a return of the pre-1992 system of governance.

Nevertheless, the coalition must have still felt it could or would ‘win’ the election through electoral manipulation. Having known and recognized that it had to rig to win, it cannot be understood why the effort was made to rig the outcome after the election rather than on Election Day or before the count or during the initial count. When it became clear that the regime had lost, then it attempted to rig the count to certify the count (SOPs). This led to former Jamaican PM Bruce Golding saying he had never seen such a transparent attempt to rig an election. It was done under public glare. The shame and embarrassment did not bother the officials or leaders involved in the attempted rigging.

Sincerely,

Vishnu Bisram (PhD Pol Sci)

Django

The "Burnham" 1980 Constitution was created when Burnham's PNC party miraculously received more that two-thirds of the MPs in parliament.

With such a number of MPs, Burnham could make all the changes for the then 1980 constitution.

While indeed some minor changed have been made to the constitution, major changes require, as a minimum, two-thirds of the elected MPs in parliament.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Former Member posted:

The "Burnham" 1980 Constitution was created when Burnham's PNC party miraculously received more that two-thirds of the MPs in parliament.



So you are saying this is the work of a divine agency.

Mitwah
@Former Member posted:

The "Burnham" 1980 Constitution was created when Burnham's PNC party miraculously received more that two-thirds of the MPs in parliament.

@Mitwah posted:

So you are saying this is the work of a divine agency.

Indeed, indeed, indeed ... the works that gave Burnham more that two-thirds of the then elected MPs.

FM

Dem PPP boys and gurls love de Burnham constitution.

@Mitwah posted:

Except for the two term limit. But then that presents the opportunity for "Puppets".

Perhaps then, the US_of_A and other countries that have two-term limit for a president have "Puppets" as presidents. 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Former Member posted:

Perhaps then, the US_of_A and other countries that have two-term limit for a president have "Puppets" as presidents. 

uncle harrison ford, don't try to be smart. everyone knows Jagdoe tried for a 3rd term, when that didn't work, he got puppets Donald, then my twin. the man is forever plotting and scheming how to use the system to his advantage and rule guyana forever like his mentor Putin doing in Russia

FM

Kudos to Django for posting the Madman's letter and a proper and sane response from Dr. Bisram.

Haripaul responded to Kak Poll Bisram.  You continue to fail..maybe you should go into rearing chickens at Pakuri.

T

Totaram aka or  suspected of being professor Banwari, Mr. Harripaul is known trickster who wiggled his way into political parties and government with the sole purpose of building himself at the cost of everything and anything.  If you supported this unruly and uncultured character out of na-ive-te' then I can forgive you.  But if you are truly aware of who is then I would to conclude that you are a man who has no loyalty to your country, people, or even family. The issue with the 2020 elections have been cleared and it was obvious to the world and the courts that the APNU/AFC attempted to change the real results to give themselves a majority.  As per the constitution, why the APNU/AFC gov't of 2015-2020 did not change it and make bitter for the PPP and all future governments?  Why preach about something that you adamantly refused to practice?  How many times haven't you been told that the PPP government cannot make any changes to the constitution without a 2/3 majority vote in parliament?  Does the PPP have that number?  Why the PNC or AFC introduce a bill to parliament to amend the constitution?  Do that and we will look at their proposed amendments to see if it's good for the nation.  Don't bring no referendum as in 1978 and rig it. We've had enough of your talk about constitutional reforms. Time to walk the talk.  Let's get it on!!!

Billy Ram Balgobin

BRB

The PPP  made many objections prior and after to the 1980 Constitution of Guyana .The Constitution is dictatorial and need to be thrown out. It's a confusing document with too many clauses that are meaningless to any Democratic Country.

Django
@Django posted:

BRB

The PPP  made many objections prior and after to the 1980 Constitution of Guyana .The Constitution is dictatorial and need to be thrown out. It's a confusing document with too many clauses that are meaningless to any Democratic Country.

The constitution and the law generally are of lawyers, by lawyers, for lawyers.  As Django mentioned, it is a confusing, badly written document that has led to the public not having a clue about what the lawyers debate.  This obviously works to the advantage of the lawyers. 

T

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