Dear Editor,
It is amazing that individuals are now heavily critical of supposed irregularities in the counting of ballots at Gecom. While the vote count is important, one cannot discount irregularities which took place in the electoral process, well before voting day, leading to the PPP accumulating this many votes. These wrongdoings are tantamount to cheating.
The Commonwealth observer group interim report along with the MMU both reported on these irregularities, however none of these individual letter writers, now clamouring for a recount, sought to condemn the PPP for these abuses.
The PPP used inflammatory rhetoric and personal attacks during the campaign period, and they violated the voluntary code of conduct agreed by political parties, which is aimed at guarding against malicious and confrontational campaigning. These slanderous and inciting campaign remarks which are synonymous to hate speech were aimed at clawing back disaffected PPP supporters and could easily account for one parliamentary seat.
Domination of the state media and pro-PPP media houses was highlighted. There was a lack of fair access to all parties, and this also violated the code of conduct which binds them to balanced, fair and accurate coverage in election periods. Given its wide reach, especially NCN and pro-PPP Channel 28 which are the only TV channels with countrywide reach, such domination could easily translate into another parliamentary seat.
The PPP misused state resources to induce voters, and such cheating in my estimation easily allowed them extra votes (or one seat) given the considerable assistance such resources can have on reaching far flung areas, or masking government business with campaigning.
Campaign funding is another abuse by the PPP of the electoral process, and in particular the number of allegations of vote buying. One could easily estimate yet another seat for these actions.
Given the PPP’s past transgressions it was never possible for them to obtain more votes than the last elections, 166, 227. But enter the above abuses the PPP managed more votes. Without these manipulations the parliamentary make-up would have been radically different, leaving the issue of recounts, needless. The APNU+AFC coalition would easily walk away with a resounding majority of about 37 seats to 28 for the PPP. Should the PPP present an elections petition to the High Court, the new government should simultaneously launch an investigation into these four abuses by the PPP.
Yours faithfully,
Latchman Singh
