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Former Member
“Coming to my home cannot be right” – GECOM Chairman

December 9, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News


Pull quote: “We (GECOM) are the one sane body in this whole imbroglio that is facing us…I will go nowhere, I love my country too much.”- Dr. Surujbally

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr Steve Surujbally has fired back at A Partnership


GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally

for National Unity (APNU) and its affiliates, calling their demands a ruse, and has stated that the calls for him to resign will fall on deaf ears as he is going nowhere.
Dr Surujbally asserted that it is unfair to use the commission as a “whipping boy” for politicking and grandstanding, given all that has been put in place by the commission as it relates to ensuring its integrity.
He also called the actions by those who picketed his home and that of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Gocool Boodhoo, on Monday night, as “crossing the line”, noting that the “terrifying” experience has been particularly traumatising to the children in his home at the time.
“When I received that call from Mrs Boodhoo, the wife of the CEO, the woman was shattered…this cannot be right.”
He explained also that when the protestors showed up at his residence he was at the time also with a colleague/friend, trying to recuperate from a sickbed, and “this happened in the night…the children are crying.”
Dr Surujbally says that it is not easy for especially the children to see dozens of people outside of the home singing carols and “wishing me a merry Christmas and dispersing it with accusations and acrimony…that can’t be right…children crying, for me is a no no.”
He said that this is one of the reasons he has taken up the matter this seriously with certain politicians who might have misused certain children…”coming to my home cannot be right.”
Dr Surujbally also upbraided one of the politicians who was vying for a Prime Ministerial post, for comments that were attributed to him in one of yesterday’s dailies saying that “GECOM is at its lowest point ever.”
The Commission’s Chairman quickly debunked this notion that any sane or logical mind would recognize that this position by the politician is blatantly wrong.
“Are we forgetting 1992 or 1997 where blood flowed…are we forgetting all the things done by GECOM…what low point…everything that we have promised we have delivered…even this length of time that we are talking about.”
Speaking to the requests made of GECOM, he did say that any major party like APNU that makes such a demand, one has to consider it a reasonable request.
He said after all, these are mature politicians that wanted to run the country for the next five years and as such cannot but interpreted as being unreasonable.
“But we should ask ourselves why was there a call,” said Dr Surujbally, as it relates to APNU’s demand for the Statements of Polls (SOPs) to be verified, and he asked why the distrust of the Commission.
“The question that evolves from that is why a distrust of GECOM…What have we done to harvest the distrust.”


Some of the protestors outside of Dr Surujbally’s home on Monday night.

Dr Surujbally explained that there is the Commission and there is a Secretariat.
He said that the Commission is headed by himself and makes policy and issues directives that are implemented by the Secretariat.
“What have we done to harvest this distrust? We had a brilliant 2006 election,” Dr Surujbally stated emphatically.
He told this publication that they carried out the preparation process with all of the political parties involved, pointing to what he called firstly an excellent house-to-house registration process, followed by continuous registration to further sanitise the result of that exercise.
Dr Surujbally also pointed to the claims and objections exercises to further purify that list as well as the fingerprint cross matching and a host of other measures executed to ensure that the election was credible.
“We prepared for the Local Govt. Elections which was supposed to be on April 19…We did the demarcation exercise….The delineation exercises, we created acceptable boundaries for all parties …all of these things we did and did almost flawlessly.”
Dr Surujbally said that in light of all of the measures that the Commission had meticulously put in place, this should not have harvested the level of distrust that exists, “those are things to say we trust GECOM.”
The GECOM Chairman said that it is unfortunate, and the only explanation that he could proffer is that there are other motives such as grandstanding or politicking, and to use GECOM as “a whipping boy” is unfair.
Speaking to the issue of the SOPs, Dr Surujbally said that the Commission during its 349th meeting on Monday, last, decided to issue all four of the political parties with copies of the necessary documents.
As such, Dr Surujbally said, “I really can’t see any reason for them to be going on the street and saying that we have to get this thing.”
The documents that were requested were yesterday turned over to the parties and in a statement issued by the Commission yesterday it was explained that, “GECOM has dispatched to the four Political Parties which contested the 2011 General and Regional Elections (i) the documented compilation of the results delineated on each of the relevant SoPs by District, and (ii) a DVD ROM containing all of the SoPs for the entire 2076 Polling Stations across Guyana in PDF.”
Dr Surujbally repeated that “the protest is one thing and everybody has a right to protest, especially if you get the permission but protesting at our homes, that is crossing the line.”
He said, too, that they have been hearing calls for members of the Commission’s hierarchy to resign but Dr Surujbally warned, “I don’t know about the CEO and what would obtain for him to go, but they had better read the law to see what I am supposed to do to get thrown out…the law is very clear on the issue of the Chairman….If people have no faith in the Commission then there are ways to get around that.”
He said that the fact of the matter is that they are all in the commission for one purpose, which is to ensure that GECOM has a credible election.
The GECOM Chairman said that he was very annoyed to see when someone, for their own private, egoistic motives, would want to erode the integrity that the Commission has obtained.
“And go where,” he challenged “all of us go and then what… anarchy then develops…We are the one sane body in this whole imbroglio that is facing us…I will go nowhere I love my country too much…they must not use GECOM as a whipping boy.”
Speaking to the fact that some of the parties have been saying that the Commission has been bowing to the pressures of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) among others, Dr Surujbally stressed, “Let me make something very clear, it is true that I will solicit the advice, the aid of the commerce and commercial leaders, but nobody will tell me what to do.”
The GECOM boss pointed out that the suggestions made by bodies such as the PSC would be put to the commission, but at the end of the day, they would ultimately make the decisions.
He was adamant that there is no law that says he has to turn over to any political parties the Commission’s SOPs adding that GECOM made the decision “not because anybody told us.”
On the issue of the call by APNU’s Presidential Candidate David Granger for only the original SOPs to be handed over, Dr Surujbally said that his own instinct is that this would not be done.
The GECOM Chairman insisted that at the end of the day, there is nowhere close to enough discrepancies – which were minor in nature – to render the results announced, null or incorrect.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

quote:
Originally posted by The Judge:
This could never be right. Going to the man's home and traumatizing his children could never be right.
tramping on the rights of the people and their children is right.this process is bigger than he and his children,he should have do the right thing from the start,and address the people instead of acting like a dictator.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
tramping on the rights of the people and their children is right.this process is bigger than he and his children,he should have do the right thing from the start,and address the people instead of acting like a dictator.


How did that man trample on the rights of those misguided protesters Jackass?
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
Picketing in front of a private citizen home, is on called for, and is condemned by the Guyanese populace....
which guyanese populace49% what about the 51% they don have a say.he is a public figure so he have to take the blame for the people action.the ppp should start running for the hills
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
warrior, are you condoning the actions of those misguided A.P.N.U supporters?
i am saying they have a right to protest if they feel,that they are not geting the answers,they deserve.you lucky the people is protesting peacefully and not by the guns
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
The Flower boy is so disappointed that he is noticeable absent from the blogs
name one minister in the ppp government that had their own business before they turn a thiefing minister
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
This is the problem of the A.F.C goons, they have a problem sticking to the thread, its clear to see they lacks debating skills and is politically naive


Suh Xmas is coming. Is wuh yuh want fuh Xmas blow blow? yippie
Mitwah
Partition the country. Black ppl want to govern themselves.

Given the Amerinds Essequibo, Demerara to the Blacks and Berbice to the Indoes.

No bady doan have to move, dey stay where they r.

Who want to move can do so anytime peacefully -none ah that muslim hindu story on the subcontinent.

Otherwise by genocide the black goan mek themselves the majority in the country.

Not the PPP or the government but the PPP supporters are in a precarious situation.

Ayu watch the coast line.
S
quote:
Originally posted by seignet:
Partition the country. Black ppl want to govern themselves.

Given the Amerinds Essequibo, Demerara to the Blacks and Berbice to the Indoes.

No bady doan have to move, dey stay where they r.

Who want to move can do so anytime peacefully -none ah that muslim hindu story on the subcontinent.

Otherwise by genocide the black goan mek themselves the majority in the country.

Not the PPP or the government but the PPP supporters are in a precarious situation.

Ayu watch the coast line.
where the dougla will go
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Just look at the hostile behavior of APNU's supporters towards Dr. Surujbally. Why would we want the APNU people to govern Guyana??


Just look at the PPP shooting down old ladies and scaring infants. I will hope you will agree that is even worse.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Just look at the hostile behavior of APNU's supporters towards Dr. Surujbally. Why would we want the APNU people to govern Guyana??


when dem start killing alyuh, yuh alyuh goan run fuh sure.
S
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Just look at the hostile behavior of APNU's supporters towards Dr. Surujbally. Why would we want the APNU people to govern Guyana??
just look how the ppp thiefing the taxpayers money,who will want them to rule guyana
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
The actions of the A.P.NU supporters are condemned by all Guyanese...


You wait till dem get wise and condemn your supporters on the Courentyne. Ramotar will not do a single thing to ease their demise.

This ethnic problem slowly heading to a continued arm conflict.

If Ramotar is wise, he should do something. What I don't know.
S
quote:
Originally posted by seignet:
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
The actions of the A.P.NU supporters are condemned by all Guyanese...


You wait till dem get wise and condemn your supporters on the Courentyne. Ramotar will not do a single thing to ease their demise.

This ethnic problem slowly heading to a continued arm conflict.

If Ramotar is wise, he should do something. What I don't know.
put fat albert on a diet
FM
quote:
Originally posted by The Judge:
This could never be right. Going to the man's home and traumatizing his children could never be right.


Peacefully protesting in fron of his home in my opinion is acceptable

However, how come we haven't heard anything from the PNC representatives on GECOM? What did they witness during the verification process? If they saw illegal activities then they should come forward like men and report it.
How come there is no demonstration in front of their homes? PNC/APNU seems to be taking a racist position; as usual,on this issue.

Maybe Granger knows a lot about rigging of elections during his Burnham day so he is a little suspicious or jealous that another party can rig election, even though not as well as the PNC.

I must commend Granger and the PNC, when they rigged, they rigged to win. If the PPP rigged it seems that they rigged to lose.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Witnesses testified that they saw Gerhard carrying something that looked like a ballot box during the count. A closer look revealed that it was a super-sized box of KFC mild and spicy. Big Grin


leh me guess, yuh witness is fat Albutt! panman
Mitwah
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Witnesses testified that they saw Gerhard carrying something that looked like a ballot box during the count. A closer look revealed that it was a super-sized box of KFC mild and spicy. Big Grin
i was sending that chicken for the protesters,out side surujballi house.them protesters have him shiting
FM
quote:
Originally posted by albert:
Gerald hopes and expectations were shattered, he has returned to watering his bed of roses....


I think the AFC was really unfair to Gerard. He and TK should have been in the parliament. I am sure there is some disenchantment within the ranks of the AFC over the exclusion of TK and Gerard.
Billy Ram Balgobin
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Witnesses testified that they saw Gerhard carrying something that looked like a ballot box during the count. A closer look revealed that it was a super-sized box of KFC mild and spicy. Big Grin
i was sending that chicken for the protesters,out side surujballi house.them protesters have him shiting


You mean to tell me Gerard is now doing messenger work for APNU??
Billy Ram Balgobin
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
I think the AFC was really unfair to Gerard. .


If GR isnt upset with this why should you be? Put it this way if he is an MP and his flower business thrives you all will scream corruption. That way he can focus on his business and you all will find my worthy things to worry yourselves over.

Like the black eye the PPP gave itself GLOBALLY by shooting unarmed protesters. Not good in this ere of Occupy WallStreet.
FM
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
quote:
Originally posted by warrior:
quote:
Originally posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:
Witnesses testified that they saw Gerhard carrying something that looked like a ballot box during the count. A closer look revealed that it was a super-sized box of KFC mild and spicy. Big Grin
i was sending that chicken for the protesters,out side surujballi house.them protesters have him shiting


You mean to tell me Gerard is now doing messenger work for APNU??
he not living off of taxpayers money,i cannot say the same for you and your family
FM
quote:
Originally posted by marlon:
quote:
Originally posted by The Judge:
This could never be right. Going to the man's home and traumatizing his children could never be right.


Peacefully protesting in fron of his home in my opinion is acceptable

However, how come we haven't heard anything from the PNC representatives on GECOM? What did they witness during the verification process? If they saw illegal activities then they should come forward like men and report it.
How come there is no demonstration in front of their homes? PNC/APNU seems to be taking a racist position; as usual,on this issue.

Maybe Granger knows a lot about rigging of elections during his Burnham day so he is a little suspicious or jealous that another party can rig election, even though not as well as the PNC.

I must commend Granger and the PNC, when they rigged, they rigged to win. If the PPP rigged it seems that they rigged to lose.


Nonsense, it is intimidation, his private live is separate from his public one. It is right to intimidate his wife and kids?
FM
quote:
Originally posted by The Judge:
This could never be right. Going to the man's home and traumatizing his children could never be right.
Absolutely correct. So the APNU's claims that they are in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa are stupidness. Their demonstrations are intended to intimidate, and to extort political power that they cannot win via the ballot box. The AFC cheers them on because they enjoy causing trouble and having someone else take the blame.
FM

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