–Jagdeo says PPP/C’s lists of candidates boast widespread diversity
–affirms that anyone who commits electoral fraud should face full force of the law

WITH the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) lists of candidates for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) comprising 42.5 per cent women, 30.3 per cent youths and almost 17 per cent Afro-Guyanese, party General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the PPP/C is the only political entity to submit lists of candidates that “look like Guyana.”

Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo said that the PPP/C has submitted a total of 2,020 candidates, supported by over 26,000 backers for the upcoming LGEs.

He also emphatically debunked accusations being peddled by the main political opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), of the overwhelming support being received by the PPP/C being due to coercion and incentivisation.

Dr. Jagdeo referenced the passion and excitement of the party’s supporters that was on display on Nominations Day last Monday, when political parties submitted candidates for the LGEs.

“They don’t have to be paid, we have people calling asking where they can come to collect their [PPP/C] t-shirts and so on. We don’t need to pay people to do that. Go and talk to the people, you can’t buy enthusiasm, our crowd was enthusiastic.

“You go and see the group taking in the list in Georgetown or Linden. You would see that they all came voluntarily to the PPP/C,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

Georgetown and Linden have traditionally been two opposition dominated areas, however, the APNU, which is led by the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) have lost support in those areas at successive LGEs.

Aside from Georgetown and Linden, the PPP/C has also made inroads in a number of other opposition dominated areas, including New Amsterdam. Unable to explain losing ground in their strongholds, the opposition has challenged the authenticity of the support being received by the PPP/C.

However, Dr. Jagdeo credited the party’s overwhelming support to work that the party has been doing on the ground and development that the party has been bringing all across the country.

“They see our track record and that is why they are supporting the PPP/C. These are not sell outs these are smart, conscientious people who want to change their lives for the better. We like ambitious people,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

The PPP/C is the only political party to have submitted candidates to contest all 610 of the constituencies across the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAA) being contested at the LGE, set for June 12.

According to Dr. Jagdeo, the PPP/C is already on par to win no-contest victories in 283 out of the 610 by virtue of no other political party, voluntary group or individual submitting candidature for the constituencies.

Detailing that his party’s demographic also includes 84 Amerindians, 187 mixed persons, and 1,408 Indo-Guyanese, Dr. Jagdeo accused APNU of failing to garner diverse support and submitting lists that lacked diversity in almost every area, noting that over 98 per cent of that party’s candidates are Afro-Guyanese.

He also called for all accusations of forgery of signatures on LGE documents that were submitted to be thoroughly investigated, and appealed to persons who have been victims of such situations to make reports both to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the police.

At a separate press conference on Thursday, head of APNU, Aubrey Norton had said that his party was investigating reports of forgery of signatures.

“I agree with Norton on this point. That anyone who has committed any illegality in these elections should face the full brunt of law,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.

He said that the PPP/C as well has already begun to note reports where persons are coming forward to reveal that their names and signature have been affixed to documents they never consented to.

During his press conference, Dr. Jagdeo read from a document, which he said was a copy of a letter that has been submitted to GECOM by a resident of Linden, who says that their name was submitted as a candidate for the APNU even though they never consented to this.