Dear Editor,
I am shocked that Brigadier Granger would attempt to defend the massive rigging of the 1973 election. Mr Granger’s defence of what happened on that fateful day in July 1973 demonstrates that the PNCR has a long, long way to go before it is truly ready to lead.
The Brigadier says that the GDF was playing “a logistical role” by securing and transporting the ballot boxes from Berbice. This is a brazen assault on history and should not be tolerated.
On July 16, 1973, I was at a polling station at Anna Catherina, immediately next to where Monarch Cinema once stood. About fifty people stood outside the polling station, many hanging out, some keeping an eye on the proceedings. As dusk fell a GDF truck pulled up and rushed into the station. A few people outside protested by asking what was going on. One was gun-butted in the face and fell to the ground. His name is Bato, aka Crab. Others were ‘chucked-up’ and slapped.
The army men drove off in the direction of Leonora with the ballot boxes. The whole thing happened fast and with terror.
Some time back Dr Van West-Charles suggested that the PNC should apologize for its past deeds. I think he was particularly interested in asking forgiveness for the rigging of elections. Some agreed with him; others thought that he was ‘going too far.’ I myself thought that it is not necessary because the PNC would have surely moved on. It appears that Dr Van West-Charles knows exactly what he is talking about.
As it stands today, Brigadier Granger now has two apologies to make: one for the rigging, and another for the defence of the rigging. I note that no senior PNC official in parliament today has ever denied that the 1973 elections were massively rigged.
Yours faithfully,
Randy Persaud
