I sensed the debate, the controversy and the sustained rancour that would result from that demand. And I did imply PNCR "mischief" thinking that Sophia merely wanted to lead the way in creating one more impediment to national peace - however dubious and fragile it now is. It now gives me a queer pleasure and self-imposed duty to apologise to my erstwhile boss, RHO Corbin.

You see, unless and until Guyana Elections Comm-ission (GECOM) Chairman Dr. Surujbally convinces me otherwise, I'll have to go along with RHO's concern about the current voter database. My position, for now, is based on Haslyn Parris' basic brief on the voters' list (see SN 03.12.2003) in responding to the President's reported bloopers on the issue.

And it is against two fundamental background elements that I raise this relatively fractious subject in this festive season to be jolly. One, anytime my old Party (leaders) discuss voters lists and disenfranchisement people especially those "voters" under thirty - should pay rapt attention; take heed. For here is a Party which knows everything there is to be known about such matters. I state unequivocally, listen to the PNC when it speaks about voters lists - and now databases. Secondly, I sit up and take notice, coward that I could be, when I hear RHO say that he is giving the government long notice and good time to start new registration given his own Party's "capacity" to ensure that this is done.

You all - my fans - might recall how easily I become scared of certain talk from certain leaders.

However, for those who missed the knowledgeable, battle-scarred Parris' education of the President, I wish to quote just three excerpts from his factual, correctional letter. Even as you might dread the travails of a new countrywide registration process you must realise that it seems vitally necessary. (Unless Dr. Sur-ujbally and his commission tell us differently). Explains Haslyn Parris (i) "the facts are these. The 'voters' list' is not the same as the database' the 'database' is the collection of data gleaned from the national registration exercise. This exercise, completed for 2001, produced a national register of persons who were fourteen (14) years, or older at the time of registration. The voters' list is a report produced from this database and this list contains those persons who were eighteen (18) years, or older, on a given date.

This therefore means that for any given 'database', the 'voters' list' will change with the date that is chosen for extracting the list, while the 'database' will remain unchanged". Further (ii) "The laws of our country require that for every local government or general election, the Guyana Elections Commission must prepare a Voters' list. In the context of the article, the only voters list that can be said to exist at this time is the one used for conducting the 2001 General Elections.

Before any future election takes place then, GECOM must produce a Voters' list that must first be presented for scrutiny by every citizen and every political party that intends to participate. Che-cking the existing Voters List would be irrelevant to upcoming local government elections, for at least one simple reason. Since the 2001 General Elections there are registrants, already in the database, who would have attained the age of eighteen years. And since no voters list has been extracted, their names could not be on such a list."

And finally (iii) his advice on the holding of future elections "Local government elections and for that matter, general elections scheduled for 2006. These delays are due to the fact that the Elections Commission has not yet been informed of the details of the electoral systems to be used in future elections! Again, in simple terms, the question that is yet to be answered in the nearly two and a half years since the last General Elections is this: What institutional and organizational arrangements for administering the country would result from citizens casting their ballots in any future election? The immediate task is for Parliament to determine the electoral systems for both the local government elections, as well as the general elections scheduled to be held in 2006!"

"Dry" subject for this time, I'm sure, but my people, herein lies all the roots of bitter plant that are bound to be watered for all they are worth in the months to come. It is now that GECOM should court all the help it could get to compile a new Roll of Electors. Even as I've lamented this example of our socio-political backwardness - our inability to conduct continuous registration and have up to date National Registers and timely identification cards - I rue the imminent, but seemingly necessary exercise.

Too negative am I! OK let me be more confident in the Doc and his GECOM. Especially with the hope of the delayed census results being revealed before new voter registration. Poor me.

Fooling ourselves?

Whatever past or current differences, I'm on record as appreciating Desmond Ho-yte's declaration that "we have a great proclivity - in this country - for fooling ourselves..." He had written that when claiming that the government had not been really consulting with the people with regard to the fashioning of its poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP). Being a part of the outreach consultations at the time, I had deemed his view wrong and unfair then. But I loved the truism in his general observations. Because I do believe that too many in high places indulge in "fooling" themselves, if not us.

I make that point to caution the various "authorities" to guard against national self-delusion, resulting invariably in large segments of a gullible or vulnerable population being deceived. Perhaps I'll lose a few senior friends through these examples: Do we - I mean the collective planning machinery - really market Mashramani? Especially amongst the Guyanese Diaspora in Europe, America and the Caribbean? Whether it is our economic priorities or other considerations it is my view that not enough is being done in that regard.

The main big lime has now stayed true to only its colloquial character - a real lime and hang out. We fool ourselves - or they fool us - that more tourism occurs, when even the so-called "product" is not showcased any longer. The various town days hosted by semi-official agencies in the larger communities also are doomed to the Stereo-system-syndrome of shadow pageants and no substance evident in the scores of other smaller hustler town-days and village nights.

A few of the sports bodies attempt to fool us too about the real abilities and chances of our sports teams. Those are not as frequent however, as lies and shortcomings are swiftly exposed.

Except you are hypnotised otherwise or on drugs, I'm told you really cannot fool yourself for long. It becomes only a pretense! Now quietly look around to see who's fooling who at the national level. Decide if you'll be a part of it. Or how to deal with it. More often than not, the truth stares you in the face.

Until...

(1) I know the feeling, the reality. But I'm allowing others to deal with the resurgent crime situation....

(2) ... and about "Christmas"

(3) Are you confident enough in the West Indies? In South Africa? Never a flat out West Indian, I feel they'll deliver....