By Joel Liburd

When the world looked on as Guyanese went to the polls two months ago, no one could have predicted today’s predicament. The election date itself was shrouded in controversy for months, triggered by a no-confidence vote in the national Parliament that led to the great debate, which was finally settled by a unanimous ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice that 33 was greater than 32. In other words, a parliament consisting of 65 members, 33 forms a majority. 

Then there was the back-and-forth between the Government and the Opposition on the constitution of the Guyana Electoral Commission (GECOM) and the electoral list. That issue also was resolved in court. The election day itself did not present any alarming reports of disturbance or inconsistency, but that was probably the proverbial calm before the storm.

In the presence of many different groups of independent election observers, one of the most blatant and unsophisticated cheats was the tactic of choice for someone… just write down the wrong number. Even Steve Harvey, after having announced the wrong woman as Miss Universe, could not be more embarrassed.

Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer for Region Four, after complaining of aches and pains, returned to the GECOM office as the only region to declare – and decided which party was really first past the post. He tried to do so in a most unorthodox manner – by waving a spreadsheet and a calculator. Uproar. The Opposition would have none of it. The scores of international observers were flabbergasted and in utter shock and disbelief. Mingo went into hiding for several days and was more hunted than Charrandas Persaud, who voted with the Opposition in the no-confidence debacle.

Observer teams packed up and went home, and representatives from Barbados and Jamaica did not mince words in declaring the actions as the greatest attempt of voter fraud that they had ever seen. Granger said nothing. In fact, his party challenged the expected Opposition injunction by actually taking the Court to Court, to determine if the Guyana High Court had jurisdiction over Guyanese affairs. Amazing and absurd at the same time.

The recount continues at snail’s pace as you read this, but Granger has realized that the writing is on the wall, and he might have held onto power if he had a few more Mingos. Well, it seems that Granger’s St Kitts counterpart, Dr Timothy Harris, has been given the heads up. Harris is using tactics and ploys to secure a win in the upcoming General Election on Friday 5^th June.

Despite St Kitts having less than ten percent of Guyana’s electorate, if Harris had two Mingos, he would probably be assured of a whitewash victory, hatefully relegating his former mentor and father-figure Dr Denzil Douglas to a distant memory. In fact, so hateful appears the Baron of Basseterre, that he seems to have helped himself to eight Mingos! All eight returning officers in the eight constituencies of St. Kitts were handpicked by Harris. Granger did the same in Region Four.

Unrefuted reports suggest that all Returning Officers trained by the Supervisor of Elections were rejected by Harris, with no reason given. In fact, Harris left the recommended returning officers only in Nevis 9, 10 and 11. This would beg a second question as to whether Tim is beginning to feel threatened by Premiere Mark Brantley, and is forcing him to work harder for his place in the Assembly. Brantley know all too well that despite his political cuddling and coddling with Harris, he (Brantley) always must rely on the overseas vote for support. People on the ground know the man. They don’t like his growing arrogance.

But back to the topic of the Returning Officers. Kudos to the team and executives who had the foresight to ensure that there was a cadre of trained and updated officers to supervise the voting process. However, it was too easy for the Prime Minister to summarily dismiss them.

What is even more alarming is who they were replaced with – Harris’ own hand-picked loyalists:

·        Constituency #1 – Jermaine Lake (Harris’ brother-in-law)

·        Constituency # 2 – Sharon Hanley

·        Constituency # 3 – Melvon Bassue

·        Constituency #4 – Meguel Thomas

·        Constituency # 5 – Vincent Hodge (brought out of retirement in the US to work as PS, Education)

·        Constituency # 6 – Edwin Warner

·        Constituency # 7 – Patrick Welcome (Harris’  2015 campaign manager)

·        Constituency # 8 – Phillip Browne

The unchanged Returning Officer remain listed as:

·        Nevis Constituency # 9 – Kevin Barrett

·        Nevis Constituency # 10 – Rogan Claxton

·        Nevis Constituency # 11 – Ermalita Elliott

This extra precaution to having persons favourable to the Prime Minister being in charge of the final tallies reeks of corruption to come. In fact, it in indefensible that the action was taken out of any “abundance of caution” according to one Cabinet member; it’s more an abandonment of morality.

Morality is surely one of those terms with which Harris is a stranger. After securing the most important Civil Service positions with his own bloodline, the final frontier was always having the elections commission in his blood-stained hands. So, in order to secure another term in office, he set about mangling and eviscerating the last pillar of democracy in St. Kitts and Nevis: the electoral process. Let it be known that a fair and free election in which the people exercise their franchise is foundational to democracy. We may not like the outcome, but we have to live with it. The will of the people and their choices for political leaders must be respected. It is sacred.

For a man who claims to have done so many great things in five years, it is painfully clear to see that the Team Unity administration has been one of public cosmetics and private enrichment. Our people cannot eat new roads to stave off hunger; they cannot get the education to fill the vacancies that exist in the civil service; they do not have the motivation or support to seed and enhance the economy, especially in the service sector. But that is not the case with the gangs and their leaders. Harris made sure that they are paid handsomely every week while the rest of law-abiding citizens must scrounge for a living in this dry season brought on by Prime Minister Timothy Harris through his mismanagement of the economy.

Many of us are still crying for water, electricity, shelter, food and basic education. These are fundamental human rights identified in the United Nations Charter, which we have not only failed to achieve, but also reversed the progress on previous administrations. Administrations in which Harris himself was a key player. But in the midst of the wailing voices from ghettos across the island, the select few are having their mansions built; they are purchasing garages of high-end cars and SUVs; they wear the finest and drink the finest. Care has gone the way of the second cruise pier – take what little you get and be satisfied.

Harris was our great hope five years ago; now he has become the greatest hindrance. We are witnessing on a daily basis the Prime Minister’s incompetence, his greed and selfishness, his wanton disregard for law and order, and his unhinged wielding of raw political power. This man would stop at nothing to barrel and bulldoze his way into political power. And his penchant for nepotism is stratospheric.

Never in the history of our beloved country have we seen such a naked and crass display of authoritarian leadership. We did not vote for this in 2015. But we got Harris, the son of Trump, and we bore it with patient endurance. But we are a strong and courageous people and we have had enough. Timothy Harris and Team Unity must go. Time for a change. YES, WE CAN. I call on my fellow Kittitians and Nevisians that come Friday 5^th June, we will come out in our numbers and do our sacred duty and vote; vote to get rid of this cancer on our country. 

— 
Joel B. Liburd
Communications Consultant Basseterre/Quebec

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