People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday night welcomed the Carter Center’s first pre-election report, saying he has “great respect” for the organisation’s historic role in Guyana and noting that it was the incumbent PPP/C that invited the mission to observe the 1 September 2025 polls.
Jagdeo said two findings in particular were important for the public record: that the Carter Center did not find evidence of a “padded” voters’ list, despite longstanding claims from the opposition-APNU and others; and that the campaign has been generally peaceful to date.
“On the whole, we welcome the report,” he told the News Room in an invited comment, adding that he intends to compare it with the Carter Center’s 2020 pre-election reporting for context and consistency, if there was one, and will address the matter in greater detail at his usual Thursday press conference.
At the same time, Jagdeo argued that, at a cursory view, “glaring omissions” made parts of the document appear to rely on allegations rather than verifiable facts. He said several incidents widely reported in the public domain and involving the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party were not reflected.
Jagdeo pointed to several troubling incidents, including WIN candidate Bryan Max allegedly threatening to kill the Education Minister; party representative Bradley “Doggie” Sampson assaulting a woman who was seeking payment for attending a meeting; and a confrontation involving WIN presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed, who was seen in the company of a woman that later attacked a PPP/C vehicle in Bare Root — an incident that was widely reported.
Jagdeo also referenced complaints from Amerindian leaders that some WIN activities were held without the necessary permits, contrary to the Amerindian Act. There is also video evidence of WIN’s presidential candidate, Azruddin Mohamed, handing out cash—a development that prompted the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to publicly remind parties that vote-buying is illegal and may have triggered APNU calling for a ban on cell phones in polling booths.
On the Carter Center’s treatment of U.S. sanctions against Mohamed and associates, Jagdeo said the report minimised their impact and it was strange for an observer group, having himself headed an observer group to Sri Lanka on behalf of the Commonwealth, to advise local banks not to “de-risk”.
This, he reminded, is a widespread routine occurrence with U.S banks, and several Caribbean banks have their correspondence banking relations in the past due to de-risking by U.S banks.
“De-risking” is the practice by financial institutions of limiting, restricting, or terminating relationships with customers or sectors perceived as high-risk—often in response to sanctions, anti-money-laundering, or reputational concerns—to reduce compliance exposure.
Addressing the report’s discussion of state resources, Jagdeo—who is also Vice President— said accusations aimed at the government ignored recent history and current practice. He asserted that, in 2020, the then APNU-led administration spent $419 billion after the no-confidence motion and before and after election day without parliamentary approval.
The APNU was signing large contracts even after the election.
He added that the claim that tolls were announced on 1 August was incorrect, saying President Dr. Irfaan Ali made the announcement since March at Babu John, which predated the announcement of elections.
On government project launches during the campaign, Jagdeo said he is “proud” of the inaugurations because they reflect promises delivered. He framed this as the development of a new political culture where political parties are asking people to vote on what they have done instead of race
Jagdeo stressed that his remarks on Tuesday were preliminary and that he would return with specifics and documentation at Thursday’s briefing.
“We invited the Carter Center, and we value its role,” he said. “But a fair pre-election assessment must capture all the material facts in the public domain—not just some.”
It was the PPP that first invited the Carter Center to observe Guyana’s landmark 1992 elections—the country’s first free and fair polls—and once again extended the invitation for the 2025 elections.
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