Police Investigating Alleged Plot By PPP Operatives To Assassinate Guyana Elections Commission Chair

An operative of Guyana’s main opposition People’s Progressive/Civic (PPP/C) is under investigation by Guyana Police for allegedly plotting to assassinate the Chairman of the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM), retired Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh.

Justice Singh today sought the intervention of the Police after several death threats were made against her. Responding to questions about whether she’s concerned for her safety, the former Judge who was known as the “Iron Lady” when she was on the bench, replied, “I am not afraid because death is inevitable and I believe in God.”

Justice Singh also faced similar assassination plots and multiple death threats from the PPP/C in 1997 when she nullified the December 15, 1997 election. The PPP claimed victory in those elections and secretly swore in its presidential candidate, Mrs. Janet Jagan before votes were finished counting.

The opposition PNCR filed the petition to quash the results of the elections on grounds of electoral fraud and unconstitutional acts by GECOM, which was under PPP/C control. The petition was allowed and the were results quashed necessitating new elections.

A security expert, who owns a private security company, today in an invited comment slammed the Guyana Police Force for inadequate security for the chairperson, which is now being beefed up. The source also rapped Police Commissioner, Mr. Leslie James, for allowing armed PPP/C members and gunmen to invade GECOM offices in the aftermath of the March 2, election, for which no one has been charged.

“The Police Commissioner has allowed the opposition leader and his cohorts to break the law without consequence. What does that say about law and order in this country” the security expert questioned?

APNU+AFC coalition government Elections Commissioner, Mr. Vincent Alexander, has also received death threats. Alexander, a Russian trained jurisprudence expert and former registrar of the University of Guyana, said he is not fearful of the PPP threats and that he has not contacted the police.

The former PPP/C government of ex-president, Bharrat Jagdeo, who is now opposition leader, as well as the leader of the PPP/C, has been accused by the ruling coalition of setting up death squads which are allegedly responsible for over 1400 extrajudicial killings and murders. Jagdeo is currently a criminal defendant in the Collie Wills murder case before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IAHRC).

US prosecutors also reportedly fingered a former PPP Minister in the assassination of journalist Ronald Waddell. Currently, PPP operative, Brian Richmond, who is reportedly a former security guard for PPP Attorney General and Jagdeo lawyer, Anil Nandlall, is being investigated for the murder of APNU activist Courtney Cum Ewing. Crum Ewing was murdered in Diamond Village, East Bank Demerara while campaigning for the APNU+AFC coalition just days before the 2015 elections.

Jagdeo has also openly threatened APNU+AFC government officials, law enforcement officials, and other senior public servants. The security expert said that there is a poorly kept secret that “the PPP/C allegedly has a plan to mobilize their business supporters who own security companies to attack if violence were to break out. This is why Jagdeo is acting like he is a bad man and making all manner of threats against people. But he should be forewarned so that the PPP/C does not misjudge the appearance of quietness across the country,” the security expert added.