Voters must not allow themselves to be distracted by the APNU's bogus poll

Robert M. Persaud: APNU has clearly seen the writings on the walls – defeat on November 28 - and has taken its act of desperation to another low-level. Now it has one of its own, an affiliate of the losing alliance, to present the findings of a bogus opinion poll.

That Dr. Clive Thomas, a former co-leader of the WPA (a major partner in APNU) has consented to such cheap gimmickry points to the fact that the losing alliance will not spare any political trick.

Reeling from the poor responses to its public meetings and rallies, the APNU had last week sought to make ridiculous claims of elections rigging which were rejected by all stakeholders. Now its PNC-controlled “dirty tricks” department has tried to pull another stunt with the aim of gaining some traction and creating a sense of false expectations among of its supporters.

It comes as no surprise from the little information provided to us and the media by the representatives of that political party that they did not undertake any scientific methods of research and analysis to arrive at their designed results.

Even more appalling are the views and findings expressed by Dr. Thomas. It is evident that the results which Dr. Thomas highlighted to us were arrived at by either of two simple methods: members of the APNU did a random opinion poll of themselves locked in a room and decided that these percentages represented what they ‘feel’ is best for their party or someone sat a desk and contrived what the results of the elections should look like after November 28, 2011.

Moreover, Dr. Thomas declined to answer several questions by the media about the unbiasness, reliability and validity of the opinion poll conducted by the APNU. It is disgraceful that this WPA/APNU activist has allowed himself to be further disgraced for narrow political gains.

The people of Guyana must not be distracted by this bogus poll and must continue to focus on the national goal of free and fair elections on November 28 and continue to work together for another victory of the PPP/C.