Guyanese Grinches

Street Bullies

We all probably know about the Grinch – Dr Seuss’ devious, anti-holiday character who “Stole Christmas”. Well, if you didn’t, then meet his local representatives – the YCT APNU youths and wannabe youths. Seems that we jumped the gun when we bid them farewell for the holidays from their protest marches in the city.

They marched again last Friday and into their now customary Big Market gathering.

There, they fit right in with the ambiance and scream like fish vendors. While we’re not sure whether we’re to be spared this coming week – they’ve guaranteed that next year Georgetown – and maybe Guyana – will know no peace.

Lurlene Nestor, left off APNU’s parliamentary list, might be pulling a James Bond (our local poor-man’s version) whose provocation of the police led to being pelleted – and a seat to Parliament. Her hysterical rants were certainly provocative. She demands Rohee gets out of office within three months and GECOM’s commissioner and CEO in six months – the same time by which there must be a “government of national unity”.

Now these are the identical demands of APNU, excepting that Nestor has now revealed the “timelines”. To a PPP that just announced its concerns about the sincerity of the opposition in their response to the government’s olive branches, these latest demands should raise more than eyebrows. Promises to deploy 10,000 APNU supporters into the streets to back up their demands suggest that the PPP government will be negotiating with the opposition, literally under the gun.

Why should Rohee resign? With Greene already hounded from his office, APNU is just raising the stakes over this strategic ministry.

They’re baiting the government to blink again. GECOM? The commissioners can only go if they resign, fall ill, or die.

Lists

The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) just submitted their report on our general elections. Not a word to even remotely justify APNU’s demands for SOPs. But they’ve made one very interesting recommendation about the system in which the parties submit their parliamentary candidates before elections.

We’re not sure this recommendation is within their remit since it has nothing to do with the conduct of the elections, but to its substance, In the system, the COG recommended – the ordinal list – the order in which a party submits its candidates’ names is the order in which they will be selected depending, of course, on the number of seats the party will garner. The voter, with a rough idea of what that number might be, then also knows who might be going to Parliament.

This forces the parties to place popular candidates high on the list – and at the same time acknowledge and reinforce their “followings”. This was the system in Guyana before Burnham changed it in 1968 to the “alphabetical list” which we still have. In the latter, the leader retains the right to choose who goes to Parliament and can exclude leaders with followings that might prove a threat. Burnham did this to old leaders such as Kendall in 1968 and Corbin did it to Aubrey Norton this month. Any guesses whether this recommendation will be taken up?

Outstanding matters

Comes the end of a year, it’s customary to tie up loose ends. So will APNU let us know what’s with the SOPs they acquired after so much storm and fury? Bond, Collins, and troops were bruised and bloodied, you know. Or was it just a photo-op ploy to gain sympathy? Dirty tricks department? And could the AFC bring closure to the Garrido-Lowe saga? The lady who fought such a feisty fight in the TUF brought Region Eight – and still wasn’t named to Parliament. Oh judgement! (not to mention justice!) Thou art fled to brutish beasts.