“Glaring omissions” in Carter Center statement – Jagdeo

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 18:35 by Writer

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday accused the United States (U.S.)-based Carter Center of issuing a pre-election statement that contains “glaring omissions” about the political climate in the country.

While agreeing with the Carter Center’s conclusion that campaigning was proceeding in a generally peaceful manner, Mr Jagdeo questioned how the observer mission omitted the allegation that a named We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) activist threatened to kill a government minister, Bradley ‘Doggie’ Sampson’s alleged beating of a woman during a payment dispute, and alleged vote-buying by a WIN official who was seen in a video handing out money in Region One (Barima-Waini), and the alleged attack on a bus in the presence of the WIN leader.

“All of these things are glaring omissions,” he told Demerara Waves Online News ahead of his press conference on Thursday. “I am a bit disappointed that they seemed to have reported allegations made in sections of the media from the opposition and left out others. If they reported all the allegations, they should have reported these too,” he said.

The PPP General Secretary also said the Carter Center inaccurately stated that the announcement of the scrapping of bridge tolls was made during the election campaign season. Mr Jagdeo noted that announcement was made in July at the PPP’s commemorative ceremony held at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant in honour of party founders Cheddi and Janet Jagan. “They could have easily fact-checked that. That’s an inaccuracy,” he said.

He was unsure whether the Carter Center had changed its procedures or departed from the organisation’s tradition to issue a pre-election statement.

Mr Jagdeo welcomed the Carter Center saying that they had received no evidence that voters list was “inflated”, amid concerns about the size of the roll – 757,690 compared to the estimated population and in the absence of census results.

The Carter Center says it has received reports alleging that the ruling party has used state-owned vehicles to campaign and taken advantage of “10-day workers” (employed part-time by the government) in campaign activities.

Official government statements about the opening of schools and other public buildings regularly feature public officials in full ruling-party regalia, blurring the line between the state and the party.

Since July 30, the president has announced he would promote over 2,800 Guyana Police Force officers.

“These and similar measures can be seen to afford the ruling party an unfair advantage. While Guyana’s laws do not prohibit new government spending after an election is called, such spending runs contrary to international standards and best practices intended to ensure a level playing field,” the Center added.