Dear Editor,
Electoral fraud is the illegal interference with the process of an election. It can occur at any stage of the electoral cycle, sometimes even in the pre-electoral stages, where some Governments interfere with the planning process of the elections.
In a narrow election, a small amount of fraud may be enough to change the election results. Even if the outcome is not affected, the revelation of fraud can have a damaging effect if not punished, as it can reduce voters’ confidence in democracy.
At a recent press conference, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Bharrat Jagdeo, emphasised the importance of strengthening electoral laws to prevent electoral fraud from political parties and GECOM. The deterrence of such practices can be achieved through consistent and effec-tive prosecution. Elections can help despots shore up their grip on power.
Holding flawed polls can enable embattled Governments to secure access to valuable economic re-sources, like foreign aid, oil deals etc. While the APNU/AFC Coalition Government appears to be in their death throes, they would use the ballot box to re-establish their political dominance. That is when the facade of democracy is going to be turned into a tool of oppression to satisfy this Govern-ment.
As Guyanese, we cannot allow the Government and GECOM to undermine the ideals of democracy and turn elections into empty rituals wherein the Government always win, as was evident before 1992, the PNC era of rigged elections in Guyana.
As the electorate, we must insist that the APNU/AFC Government, the Opposition, and GECOM move immediately to ensure that electoral laws are being strengthened and implemented, so that persons in the electoral cycles must be held accountable for any electoral fraud in Guyana.
The fiasco of Lowenfield’s disappearance recently, the Returning Officers’ disappearance, fake state-ments of poll etc, must never recur.
Sincerely,
Zamal Hussain