THE opposition is deliberately trying to erode trust in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in order to deflect from its impending defeat at the upcoming General and Regional Elections, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, said during his Thursday press conference at Freedom House.

He, in response to this, highlighted how GECOM’s credibility to conduct free and fair elections has “vastly improved,” and also how the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is attempting to rewrite its sordid track record of rigging elections.
Last week Thursday, the AFC met with GECOM and after this meeting it made several claims in a press release.
The AFC had claimed that GECOM’s Commissioners were unable to provide clear responses to their concerns, and said that its proposals are “necessary” to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The General Secretary meticulously responded and rejected the Opposition’s unsubstantiated claims, which, he said, are centred on destabilising this democratic institution.
“Now if anyone is in disarray, as an independent observer would recognise, is the opposition,” he contended.

The AFC said that GECOM has a “fractured structure,” given disagreements among the commissioners even against the backdrop that the opposition has three of its own representatives there.
In response to this, the General Secretary said that it is the Opposition’s commissioners who have consistently sought to undermine GECOM’s credibility.
Further, threats to free and fair elections never emerged from the Commission, he said, but as seen in 2020, it was the technical staff.
Jagdeo was referring to the electoral fraud charges, which allege conspiracy to manipulate the 2020 election results.

The defendants in this case are former Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; Health Minister under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government Volda Lawrence; People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) activist Carol Smith-Joseph; former Chief Election Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
Collectively, they face 19 conspiracy charges and are represented by a defence team that also includes attorneys Ronald Daniels, Eusi Anderson, and Darren Wade.
The initial results, announced by Lowenfield, claimed an APNU+AFC victory, but a recount led by GECOM and a high-level Caribbean Community (CARICOM) delegation revealed a win for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
The recount confirmed that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes against the APNU+AFC’s 217,920.
Following the PPP/C’s return to office in August 2020, criminal charges were filed against key election officials.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS
Despite their previous actions, the opposition is now trying to claim that biometrics are the only way to have free and fair elections.
However, while addressing the unconstitutional proposals once again, the PPP General Secretary said GECOM’s Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh was very explicit as to why that suggestion was rejected.
He noted that the allegation by the opposition has been that there is voters’ impersonation at the place of poll.

However, the General Secretary said: “They (Opposition) have provided absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support this and if you go back historically to this issue, you will find that this is far from the truth.”
Even recently, GECOM once again, given the opposition’s consistent rhetoric, clarified that legislative provisions and other considerations are needed for biometrics.
Although the opposition is attempting to cast doubt on GECOM, Jagdeo pointed out that in the previous General and Regional Elections, they applauded and contended that it was free and fair, even before the declaration.
This sudden shift in rhetoric by the Opposition indicates that they are scurrying for multiple fronts to posit electoral irregularities, he highlighted.

“The Opposition is trying to create a narrative where none exists. They are distorting the history of previous elections and accusing GECOM of being incapable of holding elections,” he said, adding: “This is nothing but a distraction from their own record.”
GECOM’s credibility has “vastly improved,” he said, noting that there will be a whole array of international and local observers in the upcoming elections to ensure robust systems are in place at polling stations.
The General Secretary said the PPP has no such fear in how GECOM will conduct elections.

Also, as General Secretary of the PPP, Jagdeo said he will be meeting with GECOM soon to address the issues and concerns being raised.
“We are committed to a transparent and fair electoral process, and we will take all necessary steps to ensure that the will of the people is respected,” he said.
The AFC, in its recent press release, had said it will update the diplomatic community and representatives of the international observer missions on their claims.

However, Jagdeo reminded them that the international community has not forgotten the previous coalition administration’s five-month hold on the nation’s democracy.
“The AFC and APNU+PNC have threatened to internationalise their challenges… Good luck with this..; we will do the same,” he said.

Even in the recent meeting that President, Dr. Irfaan Ali had with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Jagdeo said that Rubio remembered the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
He even stated that Rubio was against the APNU+AFC’s attempt to rig the elections and stood up against it.