VP Jagdeo slams Norton, Hughes for dodging accountability, spreading falsehoods

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has issued a scathing critique of Opposition Leaders Aubrey Norton, leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), and Nigel Hughes, leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), accusing them of deliberately avoiding scrutiny, and of spreading divisive falsehoods.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, VP Jagdeo accused the Opposition figures of employing evasive tactics to shield themselves from tough questions that might expose inconsistencies in their narratives. He took particular aim at Hughes for claiming that Afro-Guyanese men disappeared during the tenure of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) when he, Jagdeo, served as president.
“And whilst we’re talking about believability, I still hope that I’ve seen the rumours again resurface that when the media meets Nigel Hughes and the AFC that they will ask him about the 1,200 persons that he said disappeared, Afro-Guyanese men who disappeared under the PPP. A blatant lie, but he has peddled that once again in 2024. A lie that he and others of his ilk carried on for many, many years to keep people away from us, saying that we were targeting young black men. And he has repeated that lie again,” the VP said.

Condemning Hughes and the AFC for perpetuating this falsehood, and calling on the media to confront Hughes with evidence debunking these claims, the Vice President said, “I pointed out about the Stabroek News article, and so I hope that he’s confronted with the article; because he’s prone to stretch the truth, Nigel Hughes, and in a very dishonest manner; and he should be given an opportunity by the media to clarify it, and say where he got that figure from. So, I hope the next time he surfaces at the press conference…
“I notice they have now been hiding from their press conferences. Like how, you know, routinely we have a Thursday press conference, whether there is a tough issue in the media or an easy week for us, we come out routinely. We deal with people directly, like the media is here; they give links that are fake. They sometimes live stream things after the press conference to avoid questions,” Jagdeo disclosed.
VP also criticized the AFC Leader for repeatedly misinterpreting democratic principles, particularly the concept of a parliamentary majority, a matter that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has already clarified.

“This [Thursday] morning in court, he tried to relitigate the issue that was settled at the CCJ, claiming that 34 basically is the majority of 65, which the CCJ has ruled on already. He’s still stuck in that time warp, and doesn’t understand. Last week when I spoke, he hurriedly put out something to say, ‘Oh, what if 65 members?’ I explained that a simple majority is a majority of the members present at that sitting. So, if 50 were to show up, then 26 would be the majority, so you can pass a law. If the same 50 were to show up for a no confidence motion, you can’t pass the no confidence motion with 26 votes,” he added.
Jagdeo called on the leaders of these opposition parties to engage transparently with the press and the public, emphasizing that accountability is essential in fostering unity and progress in Guyana.
On this point, he stated emphatically, “The public deserves the truth, and it’s time for these leaders to face the reality of their lies.” (G1)