Your memory did not serve you ‘right’, Mr. White!

Jan 30, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
I note with some concern in the January 28 edition of the Kaieteur News, a letter from a Joseph White on page 5, purporting to correct an earlier letter from Mr. Brynmor Pollard, dealing with the formation of the Government in 1964.
Joseph White is absolutely wrong and Mr. Brynmor Pollard is absolutely correct.
I don’t know where Mr. White got his figures from of PPP 26 seats, PNC 22 seats, and UF 5 seats; luckily he did add the caveat; “If memory serves me right”. Well, his memory did not serve him ‘right’.
The 1964 Elections were conducted by the British, and the official report of the elections was prepared by Mr. R.R Misir, M.B.E, Chief Election Officer, in accordance with Regulation 24 of Elections Regulations, 1964.
To refresh the memory of Mr. White and for our youths who must not be misled about our history, these are the facts.
The valid votes cast throughout British Guiana totaled 238,530, and were made up as follows:-
People’s Progressive Party 109,332 votes
People’s National Congress 96,657 “
United Force 29,612 “
Justice Party 1,334 “
Guiana United Muslim Party 1,194 “
Peace, Equality & Prosperity Party 224 “
National Labour Front 177 “
—————
238,530 “
—————
Rejected ballots 1,590

The calculations produced the following:-

PPP – 24 Seats and 1,332 remainder
PNC – 21 Seats and 2,157 remainder, and
U.F – 6 Seats and 2,612 remainder

And that meant there were no seats for the remaining four parties. It followed that the seats allocated each list of candidates were as follows:

The Peoples Progressive Party 24 seats
The People’s National Congress 22 seats
United Force 7 seats
Justice Party 0 seats
Guiana United Muslim Party 0 seats
Peace Equality & Prosperity Party 0 seats
National Labour Front 0 seats
——————
Total 53seats

The above information is not from anyone’s memory but taken from the official records and my plea is that we should stop this distortion of history by some people in Guyana.
When a man of Brynmor Pollard’s professional standing, stature and competence takes the trouble to write, the Nation should be grateful.
Hamilton Green, J.P.