Edward Harris is back!
September 10, 2006
Edward Harris is back!
After an absence of two months from St. Lucia, I am back and am very pleased to update my readers on my mission to Guyana where I was a part of the Alliance For Change – 2006 Elections Campaign Team.
In 1997 when I managed the Guyana Democratic Party (GDP) Asgar Ali Campaign, the circumstances and the results were very different to my recent assignment when I was a part of the Campaign Management Team in the capacity of Campaign Operations Manager for the Alliance For Change. When I returned to St. Lucia in December of 1997, I announced to my friends that I was cheated but not defeated. We were white washed. The ensuing months told the story. Although voters were given photo IDs that did not guarantee fair elections. This time however, things were very different and the checks and balances were in place theoretically but varied somewhat in application. In spite of the problems that arose on Election Day, the observers were loud in their praises for GECOM and the Guyanese people who were finally able to participate in an election free of violent incidents. It must be noted that no observer team could have covered all the polling stations across the country. Sir John Compton, former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia led the Commonwealth Observer Team to Guyana for the 2006 General Elections.
The AFC in just nine months of its existence decided to participate in the 2006 General Elections of Guyana with less than one month to campaign. For the first time in the history of Guyana, a new political party caused the two major parties, the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and the People’s National Congress / Reform – One Guyana (PNC/R) so much concern. The AFC’s principal objective to hold the balance of power was almost certain when in the final days of the campaign, the PPP/C and the PNC/R – One Guyana unleashed their artillery to demolish the gains of the AFC, when apart from subtle threats to their former supporters and intensifying their house to house campaign preaching to the people that the AFC will split the vote and more importantly the PPP/C was telling their supporters that a vote for the AFC is a vote for the PNC/R which was keeping a line that their supporters must not split the vote. It all boiled down to a return to racial voting. The East Indians voted for the PPP/C and the Blacks for the PNC/R. The racial overtones got so bad that the PPP/C was requested by the Media Monitoring Committee to withdraw their “great pretender advert†which highlighted the burning down of certain parts of Georgetown and aligning Mr. Raphael Trotman, AFC Presidential Candidate with that state of affairs as it was alleged that while he was a part of the PNC/R it was their supporters that were involved in the hooliganism that resulted. That was very unfair and if there was one chilling effect, it was that advert and the Indian population reverted to their safety net in the protective arms of the PPP/C.
In spite of the many negatives of the campaign and the elections, unlike what you might have heard and in some cases believe, the rumors about Election Day activities paint a different picture. Let the officials of GECOM explain why the presiding officers locked out Polling Agents from polling places demanding letters certifying their appointment in spite they had identification cards which were provided by GECOM? Let them further explain why Region 10 results were declared without all the statements of poll being reported? After the morning fiasco the said situation developed at the close of poll with the counting agents, they were again asked for letters and this was not an isolated matter, it happened across the country.
I have a personal problem with the votes being tabulated by computers. I believe that is too advanced for Guyana unless the entire process was electronically processed and removed the input of individuals. There were over 1,900 polling stations across the country and again that presented a logistical nightmare to find supporters to man all the stations. The maximum number of voters listed at anyone polling station did not exceed 450 which could have been substantially greater and thus reducing the amount of polling stations required. GECOM as we knew it is no more, yet another important building and its contents were lost to a fire that took it all. What will ever happen to the uncounted boxes from Region 10?
In the end, the supporters of the AFC romped home with 5 seats in the house of parliament and 21 seats in Regional Democratic Councils across the country. In one instance it achieved its goal of being the balance of power which was achieved with 3 seats in the Regional Democratic Council in Region 4.
The final count of parliamentary seats is PPP/C 36, PNC/R-One Guyana 22, AFC 5, GAP/ROAR 1 and TUF 1. Looking toward the future there is an urgent need for Municipal and Local Government Elections but given the loss of GECOM’s headquarters, this may not be possible for some months.
I continue to take care of my broken leg and hope to be out of the cast within a few days so that I can move around to catch up on the St. Lucia election campaign. Only if the political conditions could be in Guyana as there are here in St. Lucia – what a country it would be? I pray that St. Lucians will cherish their democratic freedoms and exercise their vote on Elections’ Day.
Remember always, that God is in Charge!!!