Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 21, 2015 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
My infrequent readings, of the Peeping Tom column, frequently unearth fallacies. On occasions, I have deemed them to be malicious.
The most recent was in the column of May 19, 2015 in which it was postulated that “According to figures provided by Stabroek News, in Region 8 the PPPC lost by one vote”. While that is true, what followed: “With two additional votes in that Region, the PPPC would have held a majority in the National Assembly; there would have been a minority government” is fallacious and could only have been concluded out of ignorance; or total disrespect for the knowledge and intellect of the readership.
An iota of knowledge of the proportional representation system would only lead to one conclusion; that is that in such a system with only two parties obtaining seats there can never be a minority government. The minority government of 2011 resulted from three parties obtaining seats; none with a majority; and the party with the plurality prevailing.
Knowledge of Guyana’s electoral system would have also enlightened the Peeping Tom that gaining an additional constituency seat does necessarily result in an increase of the overall number of seats obtained. It is the overall proportionality of votes obtained that determines the final allocation of seats. A difference of two votes could not have offset a difference of approximately 5000 votes or given the PPPC a majority, which requires over 50% of the valid votes cast.
Kaieteur News may be advised to review this idea of Peeping Toms, since inherent in peeping is the possibility of not seeing properly. The not infrequent fallaciousness of Peeping Tom may well be the validation of my hypothesis. Or is it the skill and competency of the peeper that make the difference?
Vincent Alexander
Listen to the man that is throwing Guyanese bright future away
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