Foreigners’ vote not key to PPP’s election victory – Jagdeo

Last Updated on Thursday, 21 November 2024, 21:03 by Writer

General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said the opposition has embarked on a campaign to drive fear into voters about the importance of non-nationals to next year’s general and regional elections, but he rejected claims that his party was padding the voters’ list with foreigners’ names to secure victory.

“We don’t need foreigners to vote to win the elections,” he told his weekly press conference.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have issued separate warnings about intimidating people at polling stations, saying that it is against the law.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s caution at a public meeting in Calcutta, Mahaicony, that his party polling agents would not tolerate people with foreign accents—except English speaking Venezuelans whose parents are Guyanese— turning up to vote.

Mr Jagdeo boasted that arising from five years of work, his party’s support has grown compared to declining fortunes by the opposition because they do not have a plan and is relying on racism.

GECOM has said that Guyanese by birth, descent or naturalisation or a citizen of a Commonwealth country residing in Guyana for one year or more are eligible to be on the voters list. GECOM said the law allows for an interpreter to be provided for voters who do not understand English. That elections management organisation made it clear that party officials could not block people from voting.

The opposition has been accelerating its calls for digitalised biometrics as a precondition for registration and voting.