–Jagdeo says in dismissal of opposition’s attempt to drive fear, intimidate persons with comments about foreign voters

WITHIN the last week, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton has made a number of bold claims against the current administration, the latest being that the party is seeking to manipulate the 2025 election through an inflated list of foreign voters.

Further, the opposition has made clear their aim to have scrutineers at every polling station to ensure that no foreign voters get the opportunity to vote.

In response, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, said on Thursday that not only are the opposition’s claims baseless, but they are harmful and unconstitutional.

Speaking during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, Jagdeo stated that the opposition’s most recent campaign about foreign voters is simply another attempt at delaying an election they know they cannot win.

“This is an attempt, once again, to drive fear and to create a spectacle as though large numbers of people, foreigners, are being placed on this list to vote and that is the PPP method to win the elections,” he said before emphasising that the PPP does not need foreigners to vote in order to win.

He also highlighted the fact that unregistered persons cannot vote and the party is committed to free and fair elections. “We don’t need foreigners to vote to win the elections. When APNU was in government, we won the elections. When they practically controlled everything, we won the elections,” he said.

To further expose the baselessness of the opposition’s claims, Jagdeo proceeded to explain the requirements for voter eligibility.

“Once a person gets on the OLE, that’s the official list of electors, if you meet those criteria to be on the official list of electors, then you can only get here if you’re a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation, or a citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana one year or more,” he said.

Responding to the opposition’s assertions about foreign voters not knowing English, Dr Jagdeo emphasised, “Once they’re born of Guyanese blood, they’re eligible for Guyanese citizenship. And that is as simple as that.”

The General Secretary also clarified the proper authority structure for managing elections, stating, “The polling agents of the parties don’t run the election. GECOM runs the election.”

Dr Jagdeo also addressed what he sees as intimidation tactics by the opposition, reassuring the Guyanese people that as the 2025 election approaches, the current administration will continue to work to ensure the election process is smooth.

He further debunked the opposing party’s claims stating that while both parties are responsible for the supervision of the voters list, neither party has the power to change the election.

“Norton was trying once again to make this fake plea that on the list there are lots of foreigners and then said his people will prevent them from voting…to get on the list, you have to be eligible by the Constitution, meet the criteria. You have to go through a registration process that’s scrutinised by all the parties, including his party.”