Ferguson Condemns PPP/C Intimidation and GECOM Mismanagement Ahead of Elections

Former minister and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Annette Ferguson has issued sharp rebukes to both the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in separate letters to the editor, spotlighting concerns over election-day threats and glaring administrative failures less than two weeks before Guyana’s general and regional elections on September 1, 2025.

Jagdeo’s Menace and Memories of 2020

In her letter today, Ferguson condemned remarks made by PPP/C’s Bharrat Jagdeo at a Stewartville rally on Sunday, August 24, where he warned that anyone disrupting the September 1 elections would be dealt with by the army and police. Quoting the old adage, “when a blind man says he has a brick in his arm and will pelt you, you must believe him,” she called Jagdeo’s comments “irresponsible” and symptomatic of a panicked ruling party leaning on intimidation rather than inspiration.

Ferguson drew a chilling parallel to March 2020, recalling violent scenes—from the storming of the Returning Officer’s office at GECOM’s Ashmin’s building, to attacks on school buses and police officers in Lusignan—posing the question: Are these threats heralding a repeat of those dark days? She urged the Guyana Police Force and the Defence Force to stand firm, urging readers to remain vigilant and resist political fearmongering.

Balloting Concerns, GECOM Failures, and Calls for Reform

Ferguson’s second letter raised serious concerns over GECOM’s disciplined services balloting held on August 22, 2025. She detailed how party agents encountered inaccurate photo IDs and outdated folios, forcing agents to verify identities using parents’ names, birth dates, and addresses.

“This clearly demonstrates why house‑to‑house registration should have been conducted after 2020 instead of merely relying on ‘continuous registration.’”

Highlighting additional worrying scenes, she referenced a video in which FGM’s Amanza Walton‑Desir encountered two men in “Sheriff Security” uniforms during the disciplined services ballot. One admitted to voting and made a gesture implying oversight—raising deeply troubling questions regarding possible coercion and voter privacy violations.

The letter also singled out glaring inconsistencies in numbers: while GECOM announced 10,226 disciplined services personnel were slated to vote, media on-site reported only 3,000 ballots. Ferguson demanded clear breakdowns by branch (defense, police, prison), updated rosters removing deceased personnel, and investigation into all discrepancies.

A Voice for Accountability

In her closing remarks, Ferguson characterised GECOM’s leadership as having been “hijacked, manipulated, and weaponized” by those seeking to preserve political power at the expense of electoral integrity. Her vivid critique underscores a broader call for transparency, trust, and process reform.