…the PNC’s elections petitions?
The first thing your Eyewitness wants you to remember is that the PNC filed TWO elections petitions (EP) before the courts – one on Aug 31, and the second two weeks later. Now, you know when a plaintiff files a “back-up” case, in case the first one fails, that plaintiff has some serious problems!! He already figures his case has enough holes in it, he expects to lose. Not a good beginning for a party that insists on dubbing the PPP govt “illegitimate”!
Anyhow, your Eyewitness is amazed at the alacrity of the courts to have already decided to set up a “Case Management Hearing” next Thursday, barely two-and-a-half months after the first filing!! Your Eyewitness cast his mind back to that other EP the PNC filed after the 1997 elections – under the name of their proxy, Esther Perreira. The court – under then Justice Claudette Singh – took a year to start considering the case, and another two years to gather evidence and come to a decision. By then, of course, it was all moot, since new elections had already been scheduled!!
But more to the point: the PPP had filed an EP in June 2015 – the month after the elections of that year – contesting the results, because their request for the recount of 15 boxes of ballots wasn’t granted. That could’ve swung the elections for them. As at today, that EP has never been heard, even though the PPP petitioned the Appeals Court in 2018 to intervene. So, the first thing your Eyewitness would suggest to the PPP is: at the Case Management Hearing next Thursday, they should ask the court what happened to their EP. Sauce for the goose and gander, and all that!!
Anyhow, while the PNC lawyers (haven’t heard whether they will be bringing in Boston and Jeremie!) sort out themselves, your Eyewitness has been hearing grumblings about Volda Lawrence being left to swing slowly in the wind. Her handbag-carrier James Bond (what a disgrace to that vaunted name!) complains that none of the party big wigs (Granger? Harmon?) saw it fit to come out and show some solidarity with her. That’s COLD! Especially seeing as how she boasted that she had only “PNC friends”!!
They’re also grumbling that the PPP should bring the fraud charges against her AFTER their EPs are heard. What nonsense!! Volda’s charge of fraud is on a different basis than the petitions. The numbers on the SOPs to which she affixed her signature were changed by Mingo and company BEFORE any allegation of “anomalies” was raised by the PNC!! The PNC will be relying on their “Observations” during the recount.
What will Volda be relying on??
…quality US construction
Well, as your Eyewitness pointed out yesterday, the US intends to give the Chinese a run for their money in our hemisphere as far as funding projects is concerned. And they’re starting with little ole us!! The Chinese came in a few years ago with bulging pockets and launched their “Belt and Road” Initiative. Granger enthusiastically signed on, expecting – your Eyewitness suspects – that some of the big bucks would be transferred into HIS pockets!!
Now, the Chinese have made some inroads, and they’re now the region’s biggest creditors. But, hopefully, folks have gotten wise to the dark underbelly of Chinese investments. They bring in workers who don’t return to China, and, more insidiously, when the countries can’t service their debts, the Chinese step in and grab the asset.
Well, expect the Americans to start bidding for the mega projects in the pipeline, as outlined by President Ali: Bridges across the Corentyne and Demerara rivers; Deep Water Harbour off the Berbice River; and Road to Brazil etc.
Expect quality, and not shoddy Chinese crap!
…ship-jumping
Expect, in the months ahead, for most right-thinking members of the PNC to jump that sinking ship after David Granger’s desperate gamble to so barefacedly rig the elections.
Does he really think he can rally the troops with his sanctimoniousness?
