Endangered election – Here and far?
Comrade Leader Norton won’t contest Nature’s fury adds to man’s inhumanity
It was relatively easy for a one-time national election “animal” like me to become engrossed with the electoral goings–on - just past or current.
Italy just agreed on its first female head ever. Israel is ‘enjoying” another of its now frequent elections where, dramatically - the Arabs/Palestinian section of the electorate is poised to be a significant factor, Netanyahu or no Netanyahu who seems poised to return.
Brazil completed its definitive run-off elections this past Sunday. Brazil is our giant continental neighbour to the south. They built a bridge at Lethem for mutual convenience. They - Brazilians and their government - love our gold-fields and would enjoy getting to the Atlantic through our “highways”. (By the way, Bahia state there has the most African persons outside of Africa.) I’ll return to Brazil.
But how dare I leave Guyana’s local government/community elections, now in the news and some minds, for last (mention)? Perhaps because up until these days, local elections hardly attracted interest traditionally. No so now (?)
******
Elections, Trump, the Brigadier and Bolsonaro
Now two paragraphs on the very basics of elections. (Even as I also recognise (current) elections in Denmark and the mighty democrat that is the USA).
In our social lives we often want other folks less shy, more able and/or qualified and possessed of some organisational/leadership skills to represent us - often the larger body. From a Sunday school committee to a sports club, Trade union or political entity, we decide, by choice and vote, on who will lead and represent.
Free choice periodically by people is the prevailing element of a democracy. For which, surprisingly there are quite a few definitions.
Democracy and its elections seem extremely resilient, frequently surviving authoritarian instincts and leaders; even being resurrected after temporary demise.
However, frankly speaking, national elections - their management, their vital necessity their very integrity now attract consistent undermining, demonisation. Donald Trump has succeeded in converting even sensible intelligent followers into “election deniers”. Still swearing that he had won in 2020. There exist thousands of these who will vote on Tuesday.
Bolsonaro, in our neighbour, the world fifth largest democracy - determined to maintain such status – cast doubt on Brazil’s electoral process even before his defeat on Sunday. Need I mention our own five-month attempted thievery in 2020? Naah…
My point: frankly speaking I feel that innate human nature will retain some form of elections to ensure the people’s - the majority’s (?) will. (By the way comment on Barbadian democracy whereby Madam Mia Mottley won all the seats in two successive elections. (Ho-hoho…)
*****
A dilemma for the Comrade Leader?
The Comrade Leader Norton of the PNC has a few challenge, even dilemmas. In a recent “APNU/PNC/AFC” election petition, the petitioner was indicating that the coalition Brigadier– Leader had won the 2020 elections even though that electoral roll was faulty, bloated with names inserted thereon by ???
Now strangely I’m supporting Comrade Leader Norton’s demand for a brand new voters list. Delay next March’s local elections and provide the opposition and the electorate with a brand new verifiable Roll of Voters I say.
That will ensure Comrade Leader Norton’s participation in any new elections. And it still would be “licks like peas!” But don’t expect Comrade Aubrey to contest next March. (Licks!)
Disasters - natural and man-made
Do the members of the current Dot.com generation (16-35 years) ever consider, reflect seriously upon how the planet’s population is being daily eroded by both nature and humans themselves?
I guess not. Partly because our land of less than a million is spared nature’s devastating wrath. (Some of which I witnessed in Fort Myers, Florida, USA, a few weeks ago.) But still we seem to be holding our own proportionally, though traffic fatalities, criminal homicides, suicides and a few other life-taking activities we come up with.
I look at current natural disasters and human atrocities in the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Sudan, the Congo, Florida, Syria, Nigeria, etc. etc. And I wonder how can my more religious friends make me understand why the world is beset with life-taking events daily; even as Russia’s Putin causes the deaths of old folks and children in Ukraine.
****** Ponder a while…
1) Whenever I hear what Opposition Leader Norton wants the government to do - or what he would do, I’m sorry he is out of power.
2) If “Dead Meat” can hold “press conferences” what about the other eight/nine “parties”?
3) Dr Ptolemy Reid loved to lecture me on “man’s inhumanity to man”. He had a point!
4) Coming soon: The after-school lessons sub-sector and enhanced lady-friends.
`Til next week
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
lent opportunity to work together and to build. We must not let these opportunities pass us by. We should capture this golden opportunity. We are looking forward so much to our discussions with you and with your team. So that together we can start to develop a roadmap. After these, visits, a follow-up is the key through an institutionally structured way and that’s why we’re doing a roadmap for Saudi Arabia and Guyana to work together and grow together.”
In response to the call, President Ali had committed to doing everything to facilitate the investment by the Saudis. He said that a ‘Saudi Arabia Desk’ will be established in the Ministry of Finance while going further to invite the Kingdom to set up a local embassy.
“…not only a special desk we want to create, but we also want to create a special presence with the establishment of your embassy. But in the meantime, consider it done. As of today, there will be a Saudi Arabia Desk in the Ministry of Finance. You can hire two to three Guyanese to be part of that [desk and] we’ll put counterpart officials.
“…terms and conditions for investment from Saudi Arabia, do not worry about this. I assure you that you will never be treated less than any other investor. You can be assured of that. You will not be looked at in a lesser manner or treated in a lesser manner. We want to partner with the world but you must understand that we also want to move quickly. We have an obligation to the people of this country to deliver to them as fast as we can,” he said at the time.
The President’s acquiescence to a desk in the Finance Ministry had been criticised as unheard of and out of kilter with norms.