Dear Editor,
Inasmuch as I am perplexed by some of the decisions made by Chairman of Gecom, I will not cast aspersion on her competence and capability. She is treading in uncharted territory. Inexperience, perhaps over confidence and naivety may be at play but her integrity and credibility are not in issue: At least not yet. Until then, she is entitled to the presumption of neutrality.
That said, the Chairman is playing with trouble. Her job will not be easy, but all of the difficulties she could and will likely face will be of her own making. Going into the recount, an urgent call to a knowledgeable insurance executive might give her useful insight into risk management.
If that analogy sounds a bit extreme, think about this in the context of banking. Picture a major bank with branches spread all across the country. Imagine a situation where all the tellers in all the branches balanced their cash takings but there is a discrepancy in the total posted by one branch to the general ledger. What could go wrong if the bank asked all its branches to bring all the cash in their vaults to its Head Office for a recount?
A total recount is a high risk venture. A bank will likely have insurance to replace any cash lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen in the process: The Chairman does not have an insurance policy. A bank would go to the documents as a first step: The Chairman is going straight to the cash. The bank would look for an error. The Chairman is dealing with fraud. Not a voting fraud: A document fraud with a document trail to boot.
This is high stakes poker. In the course of the recount and probably after, the mettle of the Chairman will be tested. It is hard to believe that the elements that forced a recount will disappear magically. All available evidence indicates that they are hell bent on achieving what they failed to accomplish at the ballot box, through the Mingo chicanery and in the courts. Opportunities to cause chaos and confusion will be gleefully accepted and exploited. Attempts will be made to discredit the process, create doubt and shift blame. More legal challenges are very likely. Every tactic to prolong the life of the caretaker government will be in employed.
Madam Chairman will be a lonely lady without the authority and control she had in the courtroom. This is now her baby. She is opening a can of worms. Her judicial instincts will help but she must take charge. She cannot count on the CEO.
Up and down the line, the Chairman must be wary of foxes guarding the hen house. For the duration of the recount, she must be present, proactive and prepared. Her management and crisis management skills will be challenged. She must anticipate problems and have a response ready. She must stand firm and think on her feet. She is in an unenviable position but an important one. She is now the guardian of democracy in the country.
The odds are stacked against her but if she succeeds she will make a grateful nation proud.
Yours faithfully,
Milton Jagannath
