I write to publicly note the new coinage: Let the system work, which has been added to the lexicon of the Law Enforcement, Justice and Public Administrative systems in Guyana a la the People`s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
In 2011, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) presented a fraudulent result for the Commission’s approval, and declaration of the 2011 General and Regional Elections results. The attempted fraud was detected and the CEO was made to present the true result. Thereafter, no action was taken against him for attempting to declare the PPP/C the majority winner of the elections. The PPP/C publicly declared that the system worked and that was the end of the matter.
In 2020, it was alleged that GECOM officials attempted to produce fraudulent results. The Commission ordered a recount and produced a result contrary to what was attempted. Here again, the system worked, but on this occasion the alleged perpetrators were terminated, charged and two years after are still to be tried.
Recently a Minister was accused of rape and sodomy. The Government took no action on the pretext that the Justice system should be allowed to work. What eventuated was the withdrawal of the complainant from further participation in the prosecution of the case after she was made to sign a false statement with regard to the publicity of the matter in Social Media, and subjected to a repeat of the interrogation, after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) returned the file to the Police for further investigation.
The DPP on the grounds of her withdrawal terminated the prosecution. The President upon accepting the subsequent resignation of the Minister stated: I allowed the system to work.
Apparently the system works to the benefit of some, and not for others.
