Mr. Mark Benschop, host of Straight Up programme, is of the view the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) excitement on Local Government Elections (LGE) results is misplaced.
In an interview with Village Voice News, the talk show host said the PPP did not win anything or gained much in areas they claim success. “They have gotten nothing of significance in return, especially when one looks at the billions of taxpayers’ money spent on LGE, other forms of bribery, intimidation, unjust arrest and locking up of A Partnership of National Unity (APNU) candidates, and even with all of that and more, the PPP failed in the quest to capture strongholds of the APNU.”
Benschop stated that given the results circulating the PPP has not gotten its money’s worth. Instead, he said, billions of dollars were wasted by the PPP. In the aftermath of the election held Monday, the talk show host said “what the people have gotten in return is allegations of rigging on the part of the PPP.”
Touching on information that there have been several ties in towns and villages, radio station owner said nowhere in the world has there been so many ties in communities. Unofficial results show ties in Bartica, Mahdia, Platanka.
As Guyanese await the declarations of results from the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM), there have been several allegations of rigging. Reacting to these expressions Benschop shared the “silence of GECOM’s hierarchy is worrisome and the situation made worse with an Opposition that has done little or next to nothing in confronting the PPP.”
Further, he said, the length of time GECOM is taking to declare the results raises suspicions. According to him, Guyanese should be in front of elections’ headquarters with placards. He shared GECOM’s actions leave much to be desired and citizens are being forced to think there is some sinister plot between some GECOM’s operatives and the PPP to steal elections. This would be unacceptable, he countered.
Benschop is calling for protest action. Elections should be a transparent and democratic process, he noted. “But Guyanese are still in the dark more than four days after the voting.” It is not sufficient to tell voters to check the results online as GECOM posts them or to rely on the Statements of Poll in the party’s possession, he argued.
“The only Statements of Poll that are valid are the ones in GECOM’s possession and right now people are not sure if to trust those.” Asked to provide further clarity to his statement, Benschop told this publication, “GECOM is a partisan body, working for the PPP not Guyanese, and this is evident from Chair[person] Justice (ret’d) always siding with the PPP.”
Justice Singh holds the distinct record of being the only chair who has a voting record that consistently aligns with the PPP commissioners.
