COMMENTS interpreted as allegations of rigged elections against the ruling party by Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader, Rupert Roopnarine, have been met with strong condemnation.The rebuke is from none other than General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clement Rohee, who made no bones about how he felt at a news conference Tuesday at Freedom House.

APNU’s Dr. Rupert Roopnarine

Wading into Roopnarine, Rohee said: “Mr. Roopnarine should be reminded that it is the PPP that fought for free and fair elections, and a return of democracy to our beloved land; the very democracy that affords him the luxury to make such ludicrous statements with freedom, had Mr. Roopnarine or any of his cohorts tried that during the Burnham era, the rest would have been history.
Roopnarine’s cardinal sin was, as Vice-Chair of the WPA, which is part of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, to take to the campaign platform last Saturday at Anna Regina and proclaim:
“We have to recognise that after the people vote, we have to protect the vote because we are dealing with a desperate band; all things are possible. So, when we cast that ballot on May 11, let us ensure that we make arrangements to secure every single ballot station, and every single ballot box in the land.”
It’s a ploy that Mr. Rohee regards as vintage PNC. “This is reminiscent of the old PNC tactics of taking over Polling Stations and Ballot Boxes to facilitate elections rigging,” he told media representatives at the news conference yesterday. “Mr. Roopnarine is fully aware that the Guyana Police Force has always been tasked with providing security to Polling Stations and movement of Ballot Boxes. Under the PPP/C Administration, the Force has been doing so in a professional manner,” he said.

COVERING FOR PNC
Moved to describe Roopnarine’s mouthings as smacking of “a level of disingenuousness,” Rohee said:
“The PPP views such a statement as ‘throwing dust in the people’s eyes’ as a cover-up to all that took place under the PNC regime, the very grouping that he now seeks to glorify and in bed with today.”
The People’s National Congress (PNC), a majority partner in the APNU coalition, notoriously has a documented history of rigged elections, from 1964 up until 1992.
According to Rohee, Roopnarine is either “trapped in a time warp, or must have been hallucinating.”
The PPP General Secretary said, “We wish to assure the Guyanese people that the PPP has never, and will never ever be involved in any elections rigging.
“In fact, there is no need to do so, since our support has been overwhelming throughout the country in the 2015 campaign. What is worrying for the Opposition is that there has never been so much Afro-Guyanese support for the PPP as now.”
He underscored that fact by saying that over 160,000 Guyanese voted for the ruling party at the 2011 General and Regional Elections.

RIPE WITH PROVOCATION
He added that Roopnarine’s “scandalous” comments are also “ripe with incitement and provocation,” and ought to be noted by stakeholders in the electoral process.
As such, the ruling party is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to condemn the comments
Rohee said, “Any act of rigging will have to involve GECOM and its personnel. We are confident that the Police is capable of protecting polling stations and ballot boxes. All Guyanese must also voice their condemnation against rigging of elections and be vigilant against any attempts by Opposition force to disrupt the electoral process.”
He contends that Roopnarine’s comments seem to be an attempt to prepare the political Opposition’s supporters for a loss at the upcoming polls.
“In our view the Opposition appears to be preparing their supporters not to accept the May 11, 2015 results after their defeat,” Rohee surmised. (Vanessa Narine)