Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said today that the security forces will be required to deal firmly with anyone seeking to cause unrest when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) announces the results of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Jagdeo, who also serves as General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), was at a press conference at Freedom House when he was asked about reported comments by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed. Mohamed is said to have declared that his party would not accept a loss in the September 1 polls, citing a survey which, he claimed, shows WIN heading for a victory.
In response, Jagdeo said he was not aware of Mohamed’s exact remarks but noted that he has heard similar rhetoric from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) camp.
“I didn’t see it – that he [Mohamed] said he is not going to accept the results of the elections because he did his survey,” Jagdeo stated. Describing WIN’s position as “silly”, he said it is reckless for any political party to base its expectation of victory solely on a survey.
The Vice President further pointed to declarations by APNU’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Aubrey Norton and Ganesh Mahipaul, who have publicly asserted that if APNU wins with the current Official List of Electors (OLE), the results would be accepted. However, if APNU loses, they would deem the list flawed – a position Jagdeo warned could incite instability.
“These people – the security forces will have to be able to deal condignly with them,” he asserted.
Jagdeo’s warning comes in the wake of statements made by Norton at an APNU rally in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara. Norton told supporters that APNU was prepared to “behave bad” if the 2025 elections were, in his view, rigged by the PPP/C or tainted by irregularities.
