PPP’s boycott of House-to-House registration a disgrace to Cheddi’s legacy -PM Nagamootoo

While the PPP called for house-to-house registration to compile a new voters’ list after it lost the 2015 elections, the party changed its position once the no-confidence motion against the government was passed last year.

PPP’s boycott of House-to-House registration a disgrace to Cheddi’s legacy -PM Nagamootoo

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo today lashed out at the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party for encouraging citizens not to cooperate with the ongoing house-to-house national registration exercise, being undertaken by the Elections Commission.

The PPP has said it will continue to “not co-operate” with the house-to-house registration exercise even as the High Court has dismissed a request to stop the exercise. 

During an interview on 94.1 FM’s Hot Seat programme this afternoon, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said house-to-house registration is the best way to ensure a clean voters’ list and it is “disgraceful” that the Opposition would encourage citizens to boycott the national exercise. 

“The best part of my life was the political struggles to ensure that people have the right to vote in free, fair and credible elections. That is the legacy of Cheddi Jagan, that is the legacy of the PPP and to find these romp who call themselves leaders going back on that legacy to empower Guyanese people is disgraceful and I say that emotionally because you are trying to disempower people”, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said. 

The Prime Minister served in the PPP for 50 years before leaving it to join the Alliance for Change. 

Mr. Nagamootoo said while one could debate the length of time given to the process by the Elections Commission, “you cannot say that you don’t need house-to-house registration. It shows that you have a hidden agenda and that hidden agenda is to disempower and disenfranchise Guyanese”. 

While the PPP called for house-to-house registration to compile a new voters’ list after it lost the 2015 elections, the party changed its position once the no-confidence motion against the government was passed last year.

The Government has said that house-to-house registration is needed to clean the voters’ list and to ensure credible elections, but the Opposition accused the Government of trying to buy more time in office before the upcoming elections. 

The Guyana Elections Commission has said that the exercise is legal and lawful and was recommended and budgeted for by the National Assembly last year.  There was no objections to funds being provided for the process back then. 

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