Attorney General Anil Nandlall has reminded that the law provides for stiff penalties for acts of voter intimidation, explaining that those penalties will be fully utilized if Election officials, electors or foreign language speaking voters are intimidated or prevented from voting on Elections day.

On the question of foreign language speaking voters, the Opposition has been raising concern about an alleged mass registration of Venezuelan migrants, who have found themselves on the voters list.

APNU Presidential Candidate and PNC Reform Leader, Aubrey Norton, has indicated that his party’s election agents will be vigilant at polling places for those foreign language speaking voters.

However, during his weekly “Issues in the News” programme last evening, Attorney General Anil Nandlall explained that no electoral system in the world bars or disqualifies electors from exercising their franchise on the basis of the language they speak.

He said the laws take into account and provides for persons who cannot speak the English language and who may wish to vote, once they have registered to exercise their right to vote.

“So, our laws, thirty or more years ago contemplate a person speaking a foreign language voting in Guyana and we have always had commonwealth citizens being able to vote in Guyana once they are residing here for one year and more and that has been with us in our constitution since independence that is nothing new,” the Attorney General reminded.

Nandlall said to target people based on the language they speak would also be a manifestation of xenophobia, which he described as an international crime.

Additionally, Mr. Nandlall said the Representation of People Act also creates a series of offences for anyone who obstructs or otherwise interferes with a person’s right to vote, once that person is a registered elector. 

“To interfere with any polling agent, election agent, assistant counting agent etc—all elections officers if you interfere with them or if you obstruct them in the execution of their task, their legal functions that such a person will be a liable to a summary conviction to a fine of $5M together with imprisonment for a term of three years and shall be in addition be incapable during a period of years to register as an elector or a member of the national assembly,” Mr. Nandlall stated.

The Attorney General also remined that it is also an offence for misleading an elector on the day of poll by deliberately providing incorrect or misleading information.

Related posts:

Nandall tells Elections COI that there were early attempts to disenfranchise PPP supporters in 2020 elections GECOM needs to look into voter intimidation in parts of Berbice -PM Nagamootoo Attorney General and Former Attorney General square off over procurement of vehicle DPP advises no criminal charges against Attorney General