The hypocrisy of the practice of politics in Guyana prevails as GECOM remains silent after a week of refusing to address publicly, or in private, the overwhelming evidence presented to it by the AFC with respect to the Region 10 seat. From appearances, GECOM has instead chosen to speak through its spokesperson Donald Ramotar, (or he for the Commission). Mr. Ramotar has been quite vocal on the issue, vowing that the PPP/C will not surrender the seat even though the popular will of the people says otherwise and is being flouted. That Donald Ramotar has spoken and not GECOM is nothing short of disgraceful. By the way, GECOM's ability to maintain a veneer of thoroughness, impartiality and professionalism is crumbling. The time is ripe for a complete overhaul of the laws and practices of GECOM so that political interference and unprofessionalism are things of the past. The AFC will not let this matter fade away as some would have us do. GECOM has egg on its face and it's starting to smell!

Recently, in a lengthy treatise by Eric Phillips, the AFC was singled out for examination and attack. A short response to the ridiculousness published in that letter would be to repeat the oft quoted title of the Guyanese comedy “If Wishes Were Horses…” However, a short response will not suffice in this instance. Now, the enemy of the PNCR-I Guyana , and by extension the African population, has been identified as the AFC. What poppycock! Simple mathematics would establish that even if the AFC's votes were added to the PNC's, the result would be the same for the PNC and for the collective opposition. Polls and surveys aside, not even PNCR supporters believed that that party was on the verge of a historic victory. Perhaps the PNC and all other parties should have heeded ACDA's call for a boycott of the elections. The PNC itself had championed the call of “No verification, no election” yet its strategists must have advised that it should go into the election as it did. Then we had the collapsing of the “Big Tent” with Ramsaroop, Roopnarine and Jagan mysteriously walking away at the latest hour. The already apathetic African mind must have been really confused by ACDA, the PNC, the collapsing “Big Tent” and of course Trotman and Ramjattan. It is scape goat season and an attempt is being made here to blame the AFC for all of the PNC's woes. This is pitiful. Not even the PNC would make such a claim. Many things confused the African mind before the elections and many things led to the PNC's showing at the last elections which they are aware of, not forgetting those already raised by Jerome Khan and Aubrey Norton in their Stabroek News interview.

Mr. Phillips, both before and during the 2006 campaign, offered valuable insight and advice to the leadership of the AFC and even attended a meeting of the AFC Chapter in New York , making what was considered then to be a valuable contribution as to how we should proceed. In fact, in his own words, he set out the AFC's approach, which we tried to follow as best as possible in a document entitled: “ Guyana Politics-A Third Force in Guyana ” 2005 . His words which are set out below are our best answer to his conspiracy theory of a plot to undermine African Guyanese and the PNCR.

“ Guyana 's historic racial, political, economic and social problems can only be solved by the development of a strong viable “Third Force” movement. This is not a new idea as the WPA was indeed a “Third Force” party in the 1980s and leading into the 1992 elections.

What is new in the equation is the ever growing mass dissatisfaction among Guyanese, of all races at home and abroad, with the state of racial politics and underdevelopment in Guyana as a result of irreconcilable differences between the PPP/C and PNCR. The rampant crime wave intermixed with drug smuggling activities and death squads have all added momentum to the general dissatisfaction.

At this critical moment in time, just prior to the 2006 General Election, the nurturing, strengthening and strategic orchestration of a consolidated “Third Force” movement is more viable than at any other time in Guyana's history.

Such a “Third Force” will however need to take a long term view that is enabled by a structured and “process driven” approach, stretching over the next two elections in 2006 and 2011, for maximum short term impact and long term sustainability.

The announcement of the planned creation of a new political party by Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan has caught the imagination of the public. This momentum provides a great opportunity to build a coherent “Third Force” movement...A strong “Third Force” movement is needed to change the balance of power in Guyana beginning with the 2006 elections. Although it is highly unlikely in 2006 that a “Third Force” movement can win the elections, a well orchestrated and focused “Third Force” movement can prevent the PPP/C from obtaining more that 50% majority at the polls. For the “Third Force” to be equipped to deal with the cunning and organisation capabilities of both the PPP/C and PNCR…” (Eric Phillips)