General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has strongly refuted allegations of political intimidation circulating in the public domain.
Jagdeo, who is also a vice president, addressed these claims during a press conference at Freedom House in Georgetown on Thursday.
Recent news of a Guyana Police Force (GPF) raid on a residence linked to social media influencer Melissa Ann Atwell, where over 20 grams of cannabis were found, has sparked accusations of government intimidation.
However, Dr Jagdeo asserted that pursuing individuals for their political views is not characteristic of the PPP/C government. He emphasised the administration’s tolerance since assuming office.
“That is APNU’s old tactics. You don’t find that under the PPP…we don’t engage in that sort of thing, we have been very tolerant,” he said.
“The people who wouldn’t say a word under APNU+AFC, because of fear, they can speak freely, and so, we defend ourselves but you’re not going to find this government trying to intimidate their opponents,” he added.
Dr Jagdeo characterised the allegations as baseless, stating that the circumstances surrounding the event do not suggest a government-orchestrated plot.
“I am sure that there was no plot by the government or anybody in the government to plant marijuana on this social media influencer. Because, although she may be critical of us, she has a right as a Guyanese citizen. We defend people’s rights all the time,” the General Secretary underscored.
He stressed that the government is focused on improving the lives of Guyanese, and not on targeting influencers or political opponents, emphasising, “Our work speaks for itself.”