“We withdrew, we didn’t even go through, I saw it and I believe that something went wrong there and we withdrew as promised.”

This is according to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who noted at a press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Thursday, that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) will not be contesting the Local Government Elections on the island of Wakenaam following allegations of padding of the party’s list of supporters.

The decision by the party comes as a result of several allegations which surfaced after Nomination Day last month. It is alleged that candidates of the PPP/C forged the signatures of persons in an effort to show that they had a valid list of supporters.

The PPP/C was accused of padding its list of supporters with names of persons who are either deceased, living abroad or did not give their consent to be on the list which was submitted on Nomination Day. Local Government Elections (LGEs) are set for November 12, 2018.

On Thursday, Jagdeo also called on supporters of the party not to engage in any “nasty language” or any form of racism.  “We must respect, we have enough information and a track record to defend our policies and to speak to all Guyanese about our vision than to resort to nasty language, racism. Anything of that sort we will openly condemn,” Jagdeo told members of the media.

He said that that sometimes “I have seen some people get angry” and he noted that they would engage in language which the party does not sanction. He said such persons are not members of the party “but they claim to be supporters of our party.” He said if such persons are supporters of the party, they should “stay away from that.”