Here is Freddie's latest take on the election.
Anyone with a modicum of comprehension had to reject the police request to Giftland to move its surveillance cameras from pointing in the direction of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre and the Giftland access road. It made absolutely no sense, since the cameras provided security to all stakeholders involved in the protection of the ballot boxes housed in large containers.
Of course, I don’t think the police would have made that request on their own, since obviously it was in relation to the ballot boxes. My thinking is that the edict came from GECOM, and certainly not from a statutory meeting of the commission, since there was no announcement of that. Shadowy figures keep lurking behind the coattail of GECOM.
Who was afraid of the cameras on the boxes? My guess is that persons who had an interest in tampering with the ballots. We have gone through too much of comical and barefaced tampering with the statements of polls to shut out that idea. This is my guess, and I cannot think of further speculation, because none is coming to mind.
Yesterday the containers were removed and taken back to GECOM head office. No one from the ten opposition parties and the local and international observers were notified. In fact, a panic situation emerged, because persons keeping an eye on the items, hurried on their phones to inform opposition officials and a quick entourage was formed to follow the trucks.
What is going to happen now?
This is my thinking. We are coming to the end of the election saga. Here is what I opine will happen in the next few days. GECOM will invite stakeholders to witness the recounting of Region 4 ballots only. The recount will add to the tally of the nine declared regions and point to a statistical victory for APNU+AFC, who will secure a one-seat majority. The form of the tampering, I am not willing to write on, though I have my thoughts on the shape of it.
GECOM will make the declaration and APNU’s presidential candidate will be sworn in. It will not change the world’s attitude to the elections, but it is the logical decision for the conspirators. One must at all times remember that in philosophy, an action can be inherently wrong, but practically logical.
It made no sense dragging on the election nightmare. Each night it became ironically more dangerous and more facetious. Certain decision-makers decided it was pointless keeping the rigging train driving to nowhere. The thinking by the conspirators was to form the government, face sanctions, and then let the negotiations begin.
The above is my prediction. I have based it on two forms of thought.
First, it was senseless to ask Giftland to adjust its cameras. That decision gave it away. From the time the police made that demand, the thinking was obvious – we don’t want evidence of tampering to be available.
Secondly, moving the process to Kingston provides for less scrutiny. One has to remember that those containers were removed after noon on Friday, hours after the Carter Centre observer team announced it was pointless to stay.
What will be the response of GECOM and APNU+AFC to the cries that the boxes were tampered with?
This is how I believe it will go. GECOM will say that the impasse could not have continued much longer. The centre of contention was Region 4 votes, so it made no sense returning to the nine counts for the other regions. It is obvious that losers will always say that they didn’t lose.
I am willing to bet a friendly package, Guyana will see this scenario played out in the coming days. It was the only road left. Panic set in when Granger agreed to a CARICOM supervision of the recount. This writer is explicitly saying: a transparent account the conspirators cannot afford and will not allow.
I repeat what I have written several times in these analyses, and on Kaieteur Radio – the leaders in APNU+AFC will not concede a change of government, but will concede to far-reaching constitutional changes which they prefer to agree to while in government.
In the coming days, Guyanese will have lesser headaches, but will still be sad because a majority of the nation and a majority of democratic countries in the world will not accept the results. But life will be back without the harassment of drowning uncertainties.
Where we go from here, I predict will be a good one, in that Guyana has reached the end of winner-take-all government. The country may never recover from this horror show, but one-party dominance is over.
