GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – Vice President and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo is calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to take firm action against those who break election laws, including vote-buying, which he reminded is a criminal offence.
Speaking at his press conference today, Jagdeo stressed that enforcement is critical to safeguarding the integrity of the September 1 General and Regional Elections. While acknowledging that signing the Ethnic Relations Commission’s (ERC) Elections Code of Conduct cannot guarantee perfect behaviour among political parties, he said it remains important to demonstrate unity and a commitment to peaceful campaigning, noting, “Beyond the elections, we have to still work as a country.”
The Code of Conduct—designed to promote peace, prevent hate speech, and encourage ethnic harmony during the campaign—has been signed by four of the six parties contesting the polls: the PPP/C, the Alliance for Change (AFC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP).
However, the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) refused to sign. APNU leader Aubrey Norton said his party has “no confidence in the impartiality and independence” of the ERC, though he pledged the party would still campaign peacefully and within the law. FGM leader Amanza Walton-Desir explained that her party had submitted written feedback highlighting structural and procedural weaknesses in the draft Code but received no further engagement from the ERC.
ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeen-ul-Haq has defended the Code as a binding ethical commitment that complements Guyana’s existing legal framework, including the Representation of the People Act, the Discrimination Prevention Act, and the Cybercrime Act. The Commission has also reminded political parties that several provisions of the Representation of the People Act set out clear electoral offences and penalties.
As calls grow for tighter enforcement and as political parties clash over the ERC’s role, the run-up to the September elections is shaping up to be a test of both the country’s electoral laws and the public’s trust in its democratic institutions.
