Presidential hopeful Azruddin Mohamed is facing backlash after Toshao Kevin Seegolam of Wikki Calcuni in the Berbice River claimed the United States sanctioned businessman forced his way into the community on Sunday, without permission, sparking a confrontation during a village sports day.
Seegolam told the News Room on Sunday night that Mohamed and a group of about a dozen supporters including Mark Defrance of a New and United Guyana (ANUG) turned up uninvited while villagers were enjoying the day’s activities.
“They were not invited. I asked them to leave — they refused,” Seegolam said bluntly.
A viral video shows a tense moment in which Seegolam grabs a flag from one of Mohamed’s supporters and stomps on it. He explained the move, saying a supporter was waving the flag aggressively in his face.
“It was unacceptable. They came here to push their agenda and ignored our rules,” the Toshao insisted.
Under Guyana’s laws, the Amerindian Act of 2006, anyone — especially political figures — must first seek permission from the Village Council to enter Indigenous communities for political work.
“He [Mohamed] never sought permission, never got permission, and still refused to leave when told,” Seegolam said.
The Toshao said if Mohamed had done things properly, it could have been different: “Any political person who wants to come must do it the right way — write to the Council, get approval. Don’t bully your way in.”
Most of Mohamed’s supporters who accompanied him, Seegolam claimed, were outsiders. “It wasn’t our people — they brought in people from outside,” he said.
In a repeated appeal, Seegolam urged all politicians to respect Indigenous communities: “If you want to campaign here, respect us. Seek permission and follow the law. Don’t just show up and expect to do as you please.”
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