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The Local Government Elections are scheduled for Monday June 12, 2023. However, since Nomination Day on Monday there have been accusations and counter accusations that forces are at work to deny the true will of the people even before the first vote is cast.
Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, has accused the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of seeking to compromise the process. At his press conference Thursday, he said “we can expect the PPP to unpack its old bag of dirty tricks. Already, it is engaged in a scheme of coercion, intimidation, and bribery of voters.”
From Monday to now several lists have been circulating showing alleged irregularities. One such list has been shared on social media by Opposition Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan seen below. He has pointed out that one Cheryl Jacob, of Willemstaad, No. 7 Village West Coast Berbice, who is a candidate on the PPP’s list is dead and buried.
Another list (below) shows there is one handwritten, apparently one person, acting as signatories to the list.
In a separate matter, but not unrelated to Local Government Elections, Opposition Chief Scrutineer, Ms. Carol Smith Joseph last December filed a Fixed Date Application in the High Court against GECOM challenging the preparation and extraction of the List of Electors for the LGE. Joseph who is being represented by the Mr. Roysdale Forde, S.C has asked the court to render the Register of Voter List “null, void and of no legal effect” if GECOM fails to comply, in entirety, with the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03.
There has also been some known defection from the PNC to the PPP. Some have questioned the influence behind such deflection. Norton when questions about this and why hasn’t the opposition seen such deflection pointed out that was not the opposition’s focus.
Norton has accused the PPP of bringing the country to a sad state where citizens must stifle their conscience and sell their souls or otherwise lose their jobs, including ten-day workers, contractors and those receiving handouts.
He said the “freedom to vote one’s conscience is a basic democratic principle. We must therefore collectively condemn such acts by the PPP as degrading and disdainful of the rights and dignities of people. The PPP continues to make lawlessness and corruption a part of the political culture in Guyana. We reject this lowering of the standards by the corrupt, divisive and incompetent PPP.”
