February 1 , 2020
Dear Editor,
The PPP/C’s hysterical reaction to comrade Volda Lawrence’s call at the Kitty Rally that was sponsored by the APNU+AFC, for supporters to work the “night shift” outside of the polling stations to protect their votes, is not new since both major parties have made this call at previous elections. However, the PPP/C’s contrived hysteria is understandable, it has to be seen in the context of Jagdeo and the party leaders’ present posture of crying “wolf” when none exists, with the specific intention of mobilizing the international community to help them unseat the very popular incumbent APNU+AFC coalition government as it moves inexorably towards victory on March 2, 2020.
When a close examination of the PPP/C’s behaviour in government during previous election seasons is undertaken a certain posture will be noticeable. For as long as that party had control of the powers of the state the leaders of the party used their exalted positions to engage in intimidation, entering polling stations, and giving instructions to election officials across the country. When Jagdeo emerged as the leader of the party and as president of Guyana he helped to refine the methods they applied. It was in response to these illegal actions, that the opposition APNU in 2011 and later the APNU+AFC in 2015, resorted to the tactics which were first developed by the PPP when it was in the opposition in the 70s.
I use this opportunity to remind the PPP/C and the nation that in developing these tactics that party paid a high price for the line of action they embarked on. In giving recognition to the impact and “legitimacy” of the activity that party’s founding leader and former president of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, was instrumental in commemorating in the PPP the memory, of what they referred to as the “Ballot Box martyrs” who he claimed died in an effort at protecting what he referred to, as the seizure of the ballot boxes by security forces in the 1973 elections.
Jagdeo and his cohorts have now either forgotten or, have deliberately set out to deny the legitimacy of the PPP supporters’ actions by their attempts at criminalizing Lawrence’s call to the supporters of the incumbents to protect their votes. These tactics, which were fashioned in the blood of their supporters are now being unceremoniously cast aside and portrayed as illegal and criminal by the very PPP/C, which designed it in the first place. This abandonment of an electoral tactic that they have used with some degree of success for ages is mind-boggling but is consistent with Jagdeo’s opportunistic political positions. In their haste to make cheap propaganda – much ado about nothing – they have created a hue and cry to attract the attention of an unsuspecting populace at home and abroad who prove to be very gullible to Jagdeo’s political sensationalism.
In this election period, statements by politicians have to be deciphered in the context of our political culture. The PPP/C invokes the issue of rigging as an effective means to mobilise its supporters. Similarly, the APNU+AFC is doing the same, by calling on supporters to defend their votes. Comrade Volda Lawrence’s call has nothing to do with obstructing the work of GECOM officials at polling stations neither is it about promoting violence. The PPP/C is not that “mad” to attempt what they used to do when they were in power: the reality is that without state power they are unlikely to go in the strongholds of the APNU+AFC to interfere with the election process. But the APNU+AFC has learned its lesson. It is very unlikely that the APNU+AFC supporters will do “Night Shift” in areas where they don’t have a large following. Therefore, I repeat, this PPP/C crusade is about nothing – so to speak.
As expected, the PPP/C’s support groups like the Private Sector Commis-sion has echoed that party’s condemnation of Lawrence’ statement. Stabroek News also joined the crusade by dedicating its Jan 27 2020 Editorial to the subject, with its caption “Security of the Polling Stations”. I am not questioning the right of SN to decide what is or is not newsworthy and deserving of an editorial since that is within the remit of the newspaper. However, it is the right of readers to form their own judgement on a given editorial. Stabroek News cannot deny it is unaware of the information mentioned in my letter. The paper clearly in its editorial, took a partisan PPP/C position when it stated that Ms. Lawrence ‘s statement was “irresponsible”.
I expect SN to disagree with my criticism of its editorial. Hopefully, I may not be victimised as is the case with Kaieteur News which has banned me from their letter column. And more recently has taken the unprecedented measure to spam/block my email address resulting in every letter I send to that media house being returned as failed delivery. So much for that newspaper’s democratic credentials.
Yours faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
