Political commentator and attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram has stated that the events that have unfolded over the past few days at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), aimed at further delaying the declaration of the March 2 elections results, has finally removed the mask from the rigging cabal.
Ram’s statement comes on the heels of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield on Saturday submitting his final elections report with fraudulent numbers that were issued by embattled Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, to give the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition a victory.
This is despite him being directed by the GECOM Chair, (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, to use the figures emanating from the certified National Recount, which show a victory for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) by some 15,416 votes.
In a letter to the editor on Saturday, Ram said that there is a group of individuals who have been systematically and criminally dismantling Guyana’s democratic structures to impose caretaker President David Granger and the APNU/AFC on the people of this country as they cement dictatorship in Guyana.
“The masks are finally coming off and the identity of the cabal of riggers of elections and thieves of votes of citizens is being laid bare. Those, including myself I must confess, who thought it was the trio of [Government-nominated] Commissioners using Lowenfield, Mingo and [Deputy CEO Roxanne] Myers were the real crooks, are now recognising that the conspiracy begins with David Granger as the architect and ends with David Granger being sworn in,” he stated.
According to Ram, who is also an attorney-at-law, Lowenfield should have complied with a directive of the GECOM Chair on Saturday to carry out his constitutional duty to submit a report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act as first requested by the Chairman on June 23, more than three weeks ago.
Instead, demonstrating disrespect and insubordination to the Chairman, Lowenfield presented a report since March 14 which was clearly overtaken by Order 60 dealing with the Recount, and subsequent judicial pronouncements, the renowned Guyanese lawyer contended.
“Lowenfield, who has been running from the service of a criminal summons, does not care: he knows he has not only the PNC-R’s three GECOM appointees [Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman] in his corner but also the Executive and coercive arms of the State, including Granger, behind him. It was no surprise then that Alexander in a news report [on Friday] purported to speak for Lowenfield, saying that Lowenfield would respond to the Chairman.
As a measure of the scale and nature of the coordination among the rogue elements in GECOM’s Secretariat and the PNC-R’s three GECOM appointees, Lowenfield absented himself from the meeting, as did the Commissioners,” Ram noted.
He went on to note, however, that the conspiracy did not stop there but includes Granger and his alter ego Joseph Harmon, APNU Executive Member.
“If anyone had any doubt that Granger had an iota of decency about him, that illusion was dispelled by Granger in a bizarre display of deceit in his unmasked speech to his supporters on the day the CCJ handed down their decision, a decision with which everyone associated some finality and the return to democracy… We under-estimated Granger’s deceit,” the political analyst asserted.
Moreover, Ram pointed out that the GECOM Chair has shown immense patience in dealing with the PNCR renegade Commissioners, who were a no-show at Saturday’s meeting, and the rogue elements in the GECOM Secretariat, which is headed by Lowenfield.
As Chair, Ram noted, Justice Singh has a duty to ensure that the principal function of GECOM is carried out, that is, to hold and complete elections. He too joined calls for disciplinary actions to be taken against the CEO.
“A retired Judge of the Court of Appeal should not allow a lawbreaker to embarrass her and frustrate the execution of the work of the Commission. Lowenfield is an employee of GECOM and not as he thinks, a constitutional office holder. His continued employment is subject to his contract and the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. That Act provides for dismissal without notice where there is serious misconduct. It is hard to think of anything more serious than Lowenfield’s persistent attempt to subvert the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act,” he stated.
According to Ram, if Lowenfield is terminated then an acting CEO can be appointed to do what he has unlawfully refused to do, thus holding the country to ransom.
The political commentator noted that once Lowenfield is replaced, it will pave way for the anticipated declaration of the elections results and the swearing-in of the new President by the Chancellor. This, he emphasized, will allow for Granger’s tenure to constitutionally come to an end and all authorities, powers, protection and allegiances associated with a lawful President will cease to exist.
“Granger has boasted that the GDF (Guyana Defence Force) is the only military in South America which has never been part of a coup. I am sure that the higher ranks of the Army will want to maintain that proud tradition. I am confident too that the Chancellor of the Judiciary will carry out her constitutional duty to swear in the President rather than designate any other judge to carry out that function as the Constitution provides,” Ram stressed.
He went on to outline that if the APNU/AFC coalition, including its three GECOM Commissioners, are so certain of their “overwhelming evidence” of fraud then they should confidently pursue the election petition where they will guarantee a fair and speedy hearing.
