It looks like the Opposition’s drawing a line in the sand on having a “clean” voters’ list before they will participate in any election – local or national!! Now, on the surface of things, who can quarrel with such a request?? But in our dear Mudland – as we Guyanese should know – very few things “on the surface” have to do with what’s really going on – or going down!! Is it the mud?? The problem’s about– as far as your Eyewitness can tell – what’ll satisfy the Opposition.
Their main objection is that for a country with a population of our size, the voters’ list is outta whack at 90+ percent of our 758,000!! Meaning that 90% of Guyanese are over 18 years?? Can’t be!! And in this inflated list, the PPP could do a lot of hanky-panky!! But who are the Guyanese on the VL? All of us know that the “excess” names are primarily due to Guyanese who’re there legally but have since migrated. Now, several of our Caricom neighbours, like Barbados, have a higher percentage of voters to adult population than us – but they don’t kvetch. That’s understandable, however, they never had a party like the PNC, which rigged elections for 28 years, and have rigging on their mind.
But you gotta hand it to the PNC in the “having no shame” category. This isn’t “pot calling kettle black”; this is the cauldron calling karahi black!! Imagine that the same list was the base in 2011 when the PPP – in office – was checkmated at the polls by the PNC, and barely clung on to the presidency by the hair on their chinny-chin-chin. Three years later – with all the opportunity to do whatever the PNC think they do to rig – the PPP LOST the elections to the PNC coalition!! And now they claim the PPP rigged from the OUTSIDE!??!
But one may say, ‘Why not use records from the Immigration Dept to flag all those migrants who’ve departed legally and then remove them from the list??’ Well, two things: that wouldn’t take care of the “backtrack” – and who might just outnumber the “legals”!! Then there are the Courts, who’ve pointed out that it’s unconstitutional to strike any Guyanese citizen from the list. This’ll prevent them from voting – just because they’re migrated – even though Guyana allows dual citizenship!!
Your Eyewitness suggests that since it appears that Pres Ali might meet LoO Norton on the matter, they should agree on what was done in 2007. If you can’t raise the bridge – lower the river!! Don’t change the Voters’ List – which the Courts’ll knock down – update the current National Register of Registrants’ Database (NRRDB) through HtH registration.
The Voters’ list is extracted from this!!
…Europe’s mess
Now that QE II’s funeral’s over (whew!!) maybe Europe’s gonna deal with Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if the Ukrainians – armed to the teeth by the US via NATO – increase the gains they’ve made recently. Now, quite early in the day, your Eyewitness had suggested that the Ruskies’ move into the West via Belarus was just a feint – while they concentrated in the South West towards the great prize of the port of Odessa.
But with Ukraine developing spunks, looks like Putin isn’t about to lose face to have someone like Zelensky – who was literally a comedian before he became president – stare him down. The trillion-dollar question, of course, is how far Putin’s gonna go? But that means really how far will the WEST go to have Putin save face – and Russia not be treated like a “shithole country”. The former KGB boss has signalled that he’s backing the referendum with Ukraine’s western provinces to join “Mother Russia”.
Best let that be!
…in cricket
How sweet it is!! Your Eyewitness isn’t one to gloat – well, not too much!! So he won’t dwell too long about predicting that our Warriors would start their winning streak on Wednesday night.
But he’s saving his “black tongue” for the elections!!
