General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo emphatically stated today that anyone who has committed illegalities to give any party an edge in the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) should face the full brunt of the law.
The official made this statement today at his party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House. There, the General Secretary said he is aware that Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton has accused the PPP of having its agents forge candidates’ signatures on documents submitted on nomination day to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The official said he welcomes any evidence Norton can bring forth on this matter as the PPP does not condone election fraud of any kind.
Jagdeo was keen to note however that the same accusations can be leveled against APNU. He said, “We have seen hundreds of people had their signatures forged without their knowledge and many have gone to the police. Many have written to the Guyana Elections Commission and I have documentary evidence of this.”
The General Secretary then read an extract of a letter issued by a Marsha McKinnon to a Linden Returning Officer. In that document, Jagdeo said McKinnon informed the GECOM official that her name was part of the APNU’s list of candidates for Linden without her approval. She has since requested for her name to be withdrawn immediately.
“This is just once piece of documentary evidence which shows this person never signed any document to be part of this list… but this is what Norton and his party is doing and this is the pattern across Guyana,” the General Secretary said.
The official said it is critical that action be taken on these matters, not just on the complaints against the APNU but in those being leveled against the PPP too. He said a stern warning must be sent to those actors who are willing to infect the electoral system with corrupt acts.
