Coalition’s track record always shows priority given to power not people

Power, not people, has always been the proven focus of the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition. And this endeavour has been plagued by racist rhetoric, bullyism and intimidation.

With Local Government Elections expected to be held soon, the focus of this power play has been to target the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh.

As such, it is worth underscoring the pattern of behaviour that the PNCR-led Coalition has, and continues to, exhibits when it makes its frantic grasps for power.

In April 2020, the GECOM Chair had her life threatened. These were reported to the Guyana Police Force and the Cyber Crime Unit. One APNU supporter was charged under the Cybercrime Act.

In July 2020, an unofficial petition calling for Singh to resign first surfaced on Facebook and was signed by supporters of the APNU+AFC.

Also in July 2020, the GECOM Chair was the target of private criminal charges filed by APNU+AFC supporters over her decision to support a national recount of votes from the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

By September 2020, the former Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, added fuel to the call for her resignation.

In December 2021, APNU+AFC Coalition aligned Rickford Burke called for resignation of all the members of GECOM. Peppering his call with race baiting, Burke had said: “I think the members of the Guyana Elections Commission from the Coalition should resign because of the shenanigans going on there. They are doing their level best to get a racist East Indian from the PPP to be installed as Chief Elections Officer. That’s what they’re doing and Claudette Singh is in bed with them. I think we should break up the Elections Commission.”

Also in December 2021, the former Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon suggested that the incumbent GECOM Chairman could not be trusted. “

Incumbent Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, has more recently, joined the chorus, also with race baiting rhetoric. In December 2021, he said: “The infamous Claudette Singh voted to make Vishnu Persaud Chief Election Officer. We do not believe that the best person got the job. We believe that the appointment was collusion between the Chairman of the Election Commission and the PPP Commissioners to put a PPP hack as Chief Election Officer.” He reiterated this comment, adding, recently that: “She (Justice Singh) must go to ensure that we have elections that are free and fair. Her presence will not facilitate that. It is our intention to ensure a united Guyana. We do not want elections to divide us again.” By August 2022, he had moved to threaten ‘pressure’. Norton had said: “….there are many things we can do to put the pressure on the elections commission and Claudette Singh. But we had first given her the opportunity to tender her resignation as a decent judge who would have served and to recognise that you cannot claim to be independent and, on every issue, you are voting with the People’s Progressive Party and you seem to have no interest in finding consensus on these issues. And so, we have left the door open. We hope we don’t have to close it and Claudette Singh will do the decent thing and resign.”

This list does not account for all the number of calls made by the agents of PNCR/APNU/AFC on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, nor on private shows hosted on television or via online platforms such a YouTube, Facebook Live, etc.

What is clear is that the PNCR-led Coalition has to be called for its actions. Democratic, right-minded Guyanese are not interested in being drawn backwards, but are focused on the progressive, prosperous future ahead. And self-interested leaders in the Coalition must not be allowed to endanger our collective prosperity.