As Guyana moves closer to hosting General and Regional Elections on 1 September, Vice President (VP) and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has registered satisfaction that a number of groups have already committed to observing the process.
He made the declaration while addressing members of the media during his weekly press briefing at Freedom House on Thursday.
“We’re quite pleased that so many groups– the OAS, the European Union have all committed themselves to observing the elections here,” Dr Jagdeo stated.
Dr Jagdeo also condemned recent actions of opposition-appointed commissioners, which he noted is an attempt to vilify Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh.
“I’ve seen the attempt to vilify the Chair of GECOM. Every week there’s an attempt to tarnish their image and to criticise her because she takes positions consistent with the law,” he said.
Dr Jagdeo added: “We can expect no better from the three Commissioners representing APNU [A Partnership for National Unity]. They will continue to vilify the Chair…to make it look like there’s an attempt in GECOM to rig the elections.”
He further pointed to accusations by the opposition of a “bloated list” as he rubbished the claims as “nonsense.” The opposition-nominated commissioners had also raised the issue of voting by polling agents, a matter the Vice President views as a distraction.
“Just recently, they tried to sell the issue about polling agents being permitted by GECOM to vote in the places where they’re polling agents as an attempt again by the Chair to side with the PPP…”, Dr Jagdeo said.
He noted, however, that this is not a new issue.
“The issue about polling agents voting in the place where they’re assigned is an old issue and it has been decided a long time ago… in fact, the law has been updated to allow for alternate polling agents being in the place of those polling agents, so they can go and vote,” Dr Jagdeo stated.
