General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday expressed his concern regarding The Carter Center’s comments, stating that local banks overcomplied by closing the accounts of associates of sanctioned presidential hopeful, Azruddin Mohamed.
In June 2024, the U.S. government sanctioned WIN presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed, his father Nazar Mohamed, several of their businesses, and Guyanese government official Mae Thomas Jr. for public corruption. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blocked Mohamed’s assets within the U.S. financial system and sought to prevent transactions of money, goods, and services that could benefit Mohamed or others within the U.S. financial system.
Following the approval of WIN’s list in July 2025, three local commercial banks reportedly closed the personal bank accounts of approximately 40 WIN candidates, party members, and their associates.
Although the banks have not provided a detailed public explanation of their actions, The Carter Center stated that it is reportedly concerned about secondary sanctions and their banking relationships with the U.S. financial system. The closures of accounts belonging to persons affiliated with the Mohameds undermine political participation and electoral integrity by discouraging individuals from fully engaging in the political process, The Carter Center explained.
At his press conference today, Jagdeo described The Carter Center’s comments as “very strange,” noting that, as a non-political organisation, it has no role in instructing local commercial banks on how to conduct their operations. “Even OFAC refused to do that. OFAC made it very explicit, and that is the United States Treasury Department, which is a financial institution, said, we will not tell the local banks what to do, because each bank operates within a framework. So I find that very strange,” Jagdeo observed.
Furthermore, The Carter Center’s report emphasised that the private sector has an important role in safeguarding democratic rights and freedoms. It stressed that decisions must not discriminate against individuals exercising those rights. It further noted that maintaining an equitable treatment of candidates and political parties during elections, as well as an open and transparent campaign environment, are crucial for ensuring the integrity of democratic elections and the right of every citizen to be elected.
The Carter Center also expressed that, “This right is a universal one and requires that states ensure that their citizens have the opportunity to run for elected office, free from unreasonable restrictions.”
