Jagdeo Called for Electoral Reforms, Criticised Former GECOM Chairman Surujbally

In a 2015 media interview (seen below), Bharrat Jagdeo, who was the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Leader of the Opposition at the time, called for sweeping reforms to Guyana’s electoral system. This was after the PPP’s loss to the coalition A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) in the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Jagdeo criticised the leadership of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), particularly the Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally, alleging that the electoral process under his leadership was marred by a lack of transparency and fairness.

Dr. Surujbally, appointed by Jagdeo in 2000, had served as GECOM Chairman for 17 years. Jagdeo accused Surujbally of succumbing to external pressures and allowing partisan decisions that undermined the fairness of the election. As a result, the PPP demanded Surujbally’s resignation, eventually leading to his departure from the position in 2017.

A significant proposal from Jagdeo in 2015 was the overhaul of the voter list. He claimed that the list contained names of deceased persons and individuals who had migrated, allowing ineligible voters to cast ballots. Jagdeo argued that cleaning up the voter list would reduce the occurrence of such irregularities and protect the integrity of the election process.

Jagdeo also advocated for the implementation of enhanced biometric systems to further improve voter identification. Jagdeo pointed to incidents where presiding officers allowed voters to cast ballots simply based on recognizing their photographs, sometimes without objection from polling agents in hostile environments. He proposed using biometrics such as iris scans and photo IDs to secure the voting process.

In addition, Jagdeo proposed the introduction of a dual voting system, combining electronic and manual voting. Under this system, voters would electronically cast their votes, receive a machine-generated confirmation slip, and deposit it into a physical ballot box. This would create both an electronic and paper trail, providing an additional layer of transparency and security.

Jagdeo also emphasised the need for impartiality in hiring GECOM staff, particularly presiding officers, and proposed safeguards to ensure that individuals with political affiliations did not influence the election process.

However, after the PPP regained power in 2020, benefiting from votes that lacked accompanying statutory documentation, those cast by deceased persons or individuals outside the jurisdiction on election day, the party’s position on electoral integrity shifted. While rank-and-file PPP supporters continued to advocate for a clean voter list and enhanced biometrics, the leadership of the PPP changed its stance, leading to criticism from both the Opposition and civil society groups.

The shift in position by the PPP leadership has been sharply criticised, as it is seen as undermining the integrity of the electoral process and eroding public trust in the system. Critics argue that this change of heart on electoral reforms poses a serious threat to the fairness and transparency of future elections in Guyana.