Vote freely, preserve democracy- President Ali tells GDF

Last Updated on Thursday, 13 February 2025, 22:30 by Writer

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday charged the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to preserve democracy even as they enjoy the right to vote freely in general and regional elections later this year.

“Every member of the force has a right to vote according to the dictates of their conscience, and as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, that right will be respected. The professionalism of the military will be always upheld. Our duty is to the nation, to its security and the preservation of law and order, not to any political interest,” he told the opening of the GDF’s Annual Officers’ Conference at Base Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown.

He said the GDF would be on standby and would be prepared to act if necessary, to uphold stability by supporting the Guyana Police Force in “maintaining peace and order, and importantly, in sustaining democracy forever in this country.”

The President said everything must be done to ensure that the elections are held free from intimidation, violence or disruption. “It did not go without notice, some comments made recently by some political leaders in this regard,” he said. Dr Ali said though no unrest or other violations of the law are predicted, there must be vigilance against any attempt to unsettle internal order.

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton insisted on the need to implement digitalised fingerprint registration and voter verification system to ensure that there are credible elections or risk unrest. “They come with all these phony polls that they are going to get a landslide. I think the reason that they don’t want biometrics is that they are planning a landslide but this government must know that the peace in this society will be disrupted if, they by any chance, believe that they will rig the next election and get away with it,” he said. Mr Norton argued that the PPP could not get a landslide because of grave socio-economic conditions and so plans were afoot to steal the next elections.

The President said his People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration was not asking members of the GDF to engage in unprofessional conduct. “Let me be clear, we are not asking anyone to take a partisan stand. We ask every day for the members of the Joint Services to take a professional and national stand,” he said.

Historically, the largely Afro-Guyanese dominated Defence Force, Police Force, Prisons Service and Fire Service have been regarded as support bases of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

The President said Guyana’s “democracy depends on free, fair and peaceful elections, and we will ensure that no force, internal or external, disrupts the will of the people.”