President Dr Irfaan Ali has rejected allegations in the Carter Center’s pre-election report, which claimed that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) may be misusing State resources to boost its campaign ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
The Carter Center, which has played a longstanding role in observing Guyana’s elections, raised concerns that State vehicles, State media, and other government assets might be used in ways that blur the line between official government business and party politics.
Speaking to reporters outside one of the polling stations at Base Camp Ayanganna today—where ranks of the Guyana Defence Force and other members of the disciplined services began casting their ballots early—President Ali firmly rejected the claims.
“We are the incumbent, and these accusations are always there. Our party might have been the only party that had so many fundraisers. So, we’ve been able to raise enough resources with the love and support of the people, supporters and members. We have been able to raise enough resources to efficiently carry out our campaign and our work for these elections. So, there is no need for State resources, and State resources have not been deployed to support our campaign,” President Ali said.
The Head of State, who is seeking re-election, stressed that the PPP/C has hosted multiple fundraising events across the country, generating sufficient resources to sustain its campaign activities without the use of taxpayer funds.
Friday’s disciplined services vote—designed to allow security forces to fulfil their electoral duties on Election Day while maintaining nationwide security—was described as smooth and orderly across military bases.
While noting its concerns, the Carter Center also acknowledged several electoral reforms in Guyana, including greater transparency in the tabulation process and improvements to voter registration. However, it cautioned that more work is required to strengthen public confidence and ensure a level playing field in the lead-up to polling day.
