General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must take strong enforcement actions against persons who transgress election laws.
WIN candidate, US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed distributing cash at a public meeting in an Indigenous community
Jagdeo, who is also the country’s Vice President (VP), made the call during his press conference today, noting that the relevant authorities must be vigilant because “there are lots and lots of cases” where this is happening.
“…including paying people for their vote because it’s a crime,” he added.
“They need to take strong enforcement action against people who transgress election laws. And including paying people for their vote. Because it’s a crime.”
He said in some instances a particular party is urging persons to take a photo of their ballot to show that they voted for them, and they will be generously rewarded.
“I saw GECOM now saying that, well, we always knew since the last local Government elections they had a very explicit position. You can’t use your phone in the polling place. You can’t take a picture. Even when politicians go in, they can’t carry their cameraman into the polling place. You have to stay outside. You can’t take pictures in the polling place,” Jagdeo added.
In a recent public statement issued, GECOM strongly emphasised the importance of compliance with key provisions of the Representation of the People Act (Cap. 1:03), which outlines several electoral offences and penalties aimed at preserving the integrity of the voting process.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has also issued a call for the enforcement of the laws prohibiting vote buying and for stricter measures to protect the secrecy of the ballot.
In a statement released Monday, the coalition referenced the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) warning that it is a criminal offence to pay voters in exchange for their vote and, while welcoming it, also criticised it for omitting a key concern, the use of mobile phones to photograph marked ballots as evidence for bribe collection.
APNU also expressed concern about the increasing use of photography in polling stations to confirm voting choices in exchange for payment, calling on GECOM to publicly and repeatedly emphasise that the use of cameras or taking photographs of ballots is strictly prohibited.
GECOM’s warning
On Monday, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) urged all stakeholders to uphold their statutory and civic responsibilities to ensure the polls are conducted in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner.
In a public statement issued, the Commission strongly emphasised the importance of compliance with key provisions of the Representation of the People Act (Cap. 1:03), which outlines several electoral offences and penalties aimed at preserving the integrity of the voting process.
Among the provisions highlighted, GECOM reminded voters and political actors alike that it is a criminal offence for any individual – including the voter – to disclose to anyone the political party for which they or another person have voted, whether on their own behalf or as a proxy; any attempt to coerce or influence a voter into displaying their marked ballot or revealing their vote is similarly prohibited, and offering money, gifts or loans to voters in exchange for their vote is strictly illegal.
The Commission cautioned that any individual found guilty of these offences is liable to a fine and imprisonment of up to six months upon summary conviction. In addition, convicted individuals may be barred from participating in future elections.
GECOM’s reminder comes as Guyana is weeks away from the September 1 elections. The Commission is also urging all voters, parties and other actors involved in the elections to familiarise themselves with the legal requirements and to act in accordance with the law.
Vote buying
The commission’s warning comes days after a video surfaced on social media showing We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Presidential candidate and United States (US)-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed was seen distributing cash at a public meeting in an indigenous community and making certain promises.
In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, as well as several of their companies.
According to a statement from OFAC, this is related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports, noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilograms of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.
Code of Conduct
Meanwhile, the PPP/C GS highlighted that signing the Ethnic Relations Commission’s (ERC) elections Code of Conduct does not guarantee good behaviour among political parties during the campaigning period, but it is necessary to show some form of unity.
“…that beyond the elections, we have to still work as a country,” Jagdeo expressed.
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), led by Aubrey Norton, and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), led by Amanza Walton-Desir, refused to sign onto the Code earlier this week.
The Code is aimed at securing commitments from political parties to uphold peace, avoid hate speech, and promote ethnic harmony during the election season.
Jagdeo contended that APNU and FGM could have shared their concerns about the Code but still signed onto it.
“So signing a code of conduct is not a guarantee. And I hope that GECOM is vigilant and the police too. Because there are lots and lots of cases where we have seen this happening.
The other four political parties that have been approved to contest the September 1 elections signed onto the Code. Zulfikar Mustapha signed on behalf of the ruling PPP/C, Hana Dmitriyev represented the WIN party, Khemraj Ramjattan signed for the Alliance for Change (AFC), and Aeon Thomas represented the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) party, which is led by former APNU/AFC Minister Simona Broomes.
