WIN Party Accuses PPP/C of Coordinated Smear Campaign Against Azruddin Mohamed at ERC Code of Conduct Signing
By HGP Nightly News
Georgetown, Guyana – Emotions ran high during Tuesday’s Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) code of conduct signing for the upcoming September 1 general and regional elections, as We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party representative Hannah Mohamed issued a fiery condemnation of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) for what she described as a coordinated effort to discredit WIN’s presidential candidate, Azruddin Mohamed.
Speaking at the event held in Georgetown, Mohamed accused the ruling party of violating the very code of conduct it was there to endorse, stating:
“We call the Commission’s attention to the constant and deliberate discrediting of our presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed through coordinated online smear campaigns and state-affiliated messaging.”
Religious and Racial Undertones Cited
Mohamed, visibly impassioned, further alleged that members of Guyana’s Islamic organizations were being targeted with racial and religiously charged attacks, and lamented the lack of condemnation from religious bodies:
“We are specifically concerned about the silence of religious organizations who have failed to condemn these gendered and bigoted attacks.”
She cited provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Criminal Law Offenses Act, noting that it is unlawful to threaten, obstruct, or harass individuals exercising political rights. According to Mohamed, the actions of the PPP/C amounted to a calculated campaign to suppress dissent:
“These are not isolated incidents. They are a deliberate campaign by the ruling party to suppress dissent and silence the voices calling for change.”
PPP/C Responds: ‘Untrue and Unfair’
Mohamed’s remarks drew immediate pushback from PPP/C Executive Member and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, who rejected the allegations and warned against the politics of intimidation:
“We should never try to bully people. We must never try to impose our will on others and infringe on people’s freedom,” Mustapha said. “These actions are being displayed by the very people who are making accusations.”
He asserted that the PPP/C respects the rights of all candidates and dismissed claims that the party was engaged in suppression.
ERC Code of Conduct Signing Overshadowed by Tensions
The Ethnic Relations Commission’s Code of Conduct is designed to promote respectful campaigning, prevent racial or religious incitement, and ensure peaceful elections. Tuesday’s incident, however, suggests that deep tensions remain among contesting political forces.
Six political parties, including WIN and the PPP/C, have been approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to contest the elections.
