By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Some very damning charges have been leveled against the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally by Member of Parliament (MP) of the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Manzoor Nadir.
Nadir has accused the Chairman of being driven by an opposition agenda in his preparations and that of GECOM for either local or general elections.
Nadir, who was speaking on the radio program ‘Hard Talk’ on 90.1 Love FM also took a swipe at Dr. Surujbally’s impartiality by accusing him of colluding with the opposition and ignoring what he said were legitimate concerns.
Nadir was appearing along with Alliance for Change Executive Member, Dominic Gaskin to discuss the pending vote of no – confidence against the administration and Opposition’s concerns of lack of accountability and transparency on the government’s part.
“I would like to see the voting record of the Chairman in terms of bringing consensus or siding with the Opposition,” Nadir said as he sought to solidify his earlier claims; adding that “I like to judge things on the evidence.”
He said too, “Surujbally and the Opposition are preparing for a national election because they feel that the no confidence motion will succeed… all plans are for national elections and I would say to Steve directly: you are preparing for national elections because you are driven by Opposition agenda.”
Nadir claimed that all criteria for the holding of the long overdue Local Government Elections (LGE) have not been meet; adding that while GECOM says it is prepared for LGE, what it is really prepared for is a national elections.
To this end, Gaskin observed that while the AFC has no representation on GECOM, it has been a victim, in two separate elections, of mistakes made by the Commission.
“I find it ironic to see the government complaining and making allegations against GECOM’s ability… if GECOM says they are ready then so be it,” he added.
Gaskin believes the administration is bent on destroying GECOM’s credibility; suggesting that there may be an ulterior motive for that.
This assertion was quickly debunked by Nadir who said the administration was interested in the holding of fair and free from fear elections.
Gaskin pointed out that the AFC is founded on a platform of good governance and said the no confidence vote is another means towards that end.
AFC’s Leader Khemraj Ramjattan has already written to President Donald Ramotar, signaling his intent to bring the no confidence motion against the administration even as the main opposition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – has announced its support for the motion.
Gaskin and Nadir went head to head on the motion which surrounds the contention that the government, particularly the Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh has been spending public monies illegally and without parliamentary approval.
Gaskin made it clear that the motion, which is expected to be laid before the House in October, was not whimsical and that much seriousness surrounded it.
Nadir has defended the spending once again even as he cited previous
Court rulings on the issues of budget cuts.
“When contentious issues arise the best place to test it is the courts and even if you don’t like what the courts are saying then go to the court of public opinion, that’s your right,” Nadir added.
He accused the Opposition of being an obstacle to progress through its consecutive reduction of the national budget over the last three years.
But according to Gaskin, there are sound rationales for the budget cuts.
“I don’t see the progress Nadir is alluding to,” Gaskin said even as Nadir accused the opposition of being “dead against development under the PPP government.”
fonzo..u de fool fool..if u think jimmy C came to guyana to install ppp to power i take it back..u r a much larger fool..it means jimmy C went to south africa and other places to install their puppets..they go as observers and to report wrong doing and right doing and thats what they did fool..fool u honestly believe that 75% to 80% of guyanese was so in love with your burnham and hoyte you big fool.. u want the past of beri beri come back to haunt guanese again…go grab a life under that rock u crawl out from fool ..
ok ,who was dancing to the tune of the US when JIMMY Cater came here ,you fools ,you should have join Jim Jones cult and have sone cancide, because those who forget to remember the past are condemned to repeat it ,both these political parties needs new blob with better planning for the future , and stop this backbiting
MP …GECOM COULD VERY WELL BE READY WITH NO NAMES OF people LETS SAY FROM WHIM….u get the gist of it now?? pnc would turn guyana upside down if GECOM say they ready with no names from lets say Buxton…this is what is being talked about here..
GD you have me cracking up here…D Hoyte was a good man?? now now really?? would a good man rigged an election to grab power the way your good man D.Hoyte did?? man ..i tell ya Burnham was a bad man but your good man D.Hoyte made bad man Burnham look like a saint ha ha ha….Your Surujabally might be one of the few good men but its not a matter of being good now..its a matter of being honest and matter of telling the truth..Suruj not telling all he know..Only now GECOM TALKING:::WHY::iTS BECAUSE THE US AMBASSADOR TELL THEM TO TALK?? THINK U SMARTER THAN THAT
“I find it ironic to see the government complaining and making allegations against GECOM’s ability… if GECOM says they are ready then so be it,” he added.
Will you promise if later proven that they were not ready, you sir and GECOM boss should be sent to jail.
This is just a blame game by Mr. Nadir, stop crying wolf wake up and look into your own past of corrupt politics. Mr. Steve Surujbally is one of the few good men that are still alive in Guyana. I put him in the likes of Mr. D.Hoyte, Mr. Murray etc.
OBSERVER WHERE DID YOUR FOUNDING FATHER LEADER BURNHAM DUMPED PETER D? DO TELL BECAUSE I KNOW U KNOW
bottom line is:::::::: once the US spy oooopppssss I mean to say US ambassador got involved in having a say in what goes on in Guyana the combined opposition found power balls..something sinister iswith this GECOM since PNC prayed for the other guy at his office entrance and entrance to his home till he was gone so PNC can get their man in there..i wonder if PPPC supporters have a crowd that pray like PNC crowd prays so the praying PPPC crowd and pray away Surujbally..
Suruj in my opinion is a US puppet…he dancing to US tune..they have it all figured out in GECOM..
Poor Manzoor….he was relieved of his Portfolio of Minister of Tourism and dumped on an island in the Essequibo all alone. Poor chap….now someone has ordered him to do some dirty political work….to make him sing for his supper. Ow..!!!