With three days to the General and Regional Elections, mounting evidence suggests that state-paid “10-day workers” are being deployed in political campaigns on behalf of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). These workers are reportedly calling voters on their mobile phones and asking directly whether they plan to vote for the PPP. They are also distributing campaign materials door to door, outfitted in party-branded apparel and operating in sweltering heat. The blurred line between state-funded employment and party politics has drawn sharp criticism.
At a press conference thursday, Vice President and PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo defended the practice, stating that “the government has a way of collecting data” when questioned about how phone numbers were obtained. However, Jagdeo failed to clarify the specific source and instead chose to attack journalist Gordon Moseley, who recorded a call in which a voter was asked about their voting intentions immediately after being inquired about receiving a cash grant.
The Carter Center’s pre-election observation mission has highlighted this very issue as a key concern. In its August 19 statement, the Center warned that the ruling party “has used state resources and benefited from biased state media coverage, undermining the equitable treatment of candidates.” The mission cited allegations of public workers being intimidated and called on authorities to uphold fairness and transparency in the campaign process.
Citizens have taken to social media to condemn the disturbing use of personal data and reports of coercion.
“You called me and told me to give you a bit—when I asked where you got my number, you said ‘the census.’ But that data isn’t even public!” one user lamented.
Another concerned citizen warned:
“This goes beyond engagement. They’re harassing people with unsolicited calls—why are they contacting me multiple times?”
Political scientist Randy Gopaul has condemned the Irfaan Ali administration for what he describes as the blatant misuse of state-paid 10-day workers for political campaigning on behalf of the PPP.
Gopaul said the practice of using temporary government workers to call citizens and inquire about their voting intentions while distributing PPP campaign materials and wearing party-branded clothing is a serious breach of democratic norms. “This isn’t governance; it’s electioneering funded by taxpayers,” Gopaul asserted.
“The lines between the state and the ruling party have been dangerously erased. It raises troubling questions about data privacy, abuse of state resources, and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions.”
Privacy experts warn that while Guyana lacks comprehensive data protection laws, these unsolicited voter calls represent a serious ethical and privacy breach. Observers note that using state employees to make campaign calls raises urgent questions about whether public funds are being misused to secure political advantage.
With public trust in the electoral process already fragile, these developments threaten to undermine the legitimacy of the upcoming polls unless immediate and decisive action is taken to separate state functions from partisan politics.
