FGM says Govt. misusing cash grant data for political advantage Aug 23, 2025 News Kaieteur News – The Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) has slammed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration for using citizen’s personal information collected under the government’s 2024 cash grant programme for political purposes. The party said over the past several days, its offices have been inundated with calls from persons across the country reporting that they have received unsolicited political calls from telephone numbers including +592-761-8532 and +592-761-9361. Callers have allegedly referenced the government’s cash grant initiative and asked recipients whether they intend to vote for the ruling PPP/C. In some instances, citizens reported being told outright that their information was obtained from the cash grant registration list. “This practice is deeply troubling. It constitutes a blatant misuse of state resources, a violation of citizens’ privacy rights under the Data Protection Act 2023, and an unlawful act of undue influence as defined in the Representation of the People Act. The exploitation of government-held data for partisan gain undermines the principle of a level playing field and erodes public trust in the electoral process,” FGM relayed in a release Friday. The party said international standards—including the OAS Inter-American Democratic Charter, OSCE/Venice Commission Guidelines, and Carter Center Electoral Standards—all prohibit the use of public resources or administrative data for political advantage. By leveraging citizens’ private information for campaign purposes, the ruling party compromises the integrity of the democratic process and places citizens under undue pressure. “The Forward Guyana Movement calls upon all electoral observer missions, civil society, and the international community to take note of these developments and to monitor closely the use of government resources during this election period.” It said the credibility of the upcoming elections depends on urgent action to safeguard citizens’ rights and prevent the abuse of state resources. Earlier this week, international elections observer mission Carter Center condemned the PPP/C for misusing state resources including the state media in its ongoing campaign to conjure up support for Guyana’s upcoming general and regional elections. The mission said it had received multiple allegations from political parties and civil society that the ruling party has misused state resources. “Social media and news reports are also rife with photographs suggestive of this problem. The use of state resources for party campaigning runs contrary to Guyana’s international obligations with respect to campaign finance,” the organisation outlined. The center underscored allegations against the government about the use of state-owned vehicles to campaign, as well as the advantage taken of “10-day workers” in campaign activities. The body also slammed the government’s widespread spending, which it explained puts competing political parties at a disadvantage. “Official government statements about the opening of schools and other public buildings regularly feature public officials in full ruling-party regalia, blurring the line between the state and the party. Since July 30, the president has announced he would promote over 2,800 Guyana Police Force officers. On Aug. 1, the government announced that bridge crossings would now be free. These and similar measures can be seen to afford the ruling party an unfair advantage. While Guyana’s laws do not prohibit new government spending after an election is called, such spending runs contrary to international standards and best practices intended to ensure a level playing field. And while the entity is not conducting systematic media monitoring, it said it has noted and received reports indicating the bias state media coverage in favour of the ruling party. The mission has received complaints from several political parties reporting limited access to state media, with their events receiving little or no coverage. One party has also alleged that it was even denied the opportunity to place advertisements in state media. cash grant, Elections, Forward Guyana Movement, political advantage, PPP/C