Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), emphasized the need for stringent actions to deter violations of election laws during a press conference on Thursday. He urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the police to remain vigilant against electoral misconduct.
Jagdeo highlighted the importance of enforcing laws against practices such as vote-buying, stating, “They need to take strong enforcement action against people who transgress election laws, including paying people for their vote because this is a crime.”
In response to concerns about electoral integrity, GECOM issued a statement reminding candidates and citizens that offering or accepting inducements for votes is illegal. The Commission noted that it is a criminal offense to offer any money, gifts, or loans to voters to secure their votes.
Violators of these laws face penalties, including fines and up to six months’ imprisonment on summary conviction. Additionally, those convicted may be barred from participating in future elections.
Earlier this week, GECOM decided against requiring voters to surrender their mobile phones at polling stations. While photographing marked ballots remains prohibited, the commission opted not to implement a mandatory phone storage policy.
GECOM reiterated that all stakeholders have a statutory duty and civic responsibility to help ensure that elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.
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