CAUTIONING citizens not to be misled by recent online polls, which he branded as “fake news,” People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo described the fabricated surveys as an attempt to create a false narrative and influence voter behaviour ahead of Monday’s General and Regional Elections.

Dr Jagdeo on Thursday during a press conference at Freedom House, Georgetown, explained how the polls are designed to mislead. “…It’s disinformation and it’s designed to influence voters’ behaviours for a particular electoral outcome. So, they could be generated in a back room,” he said.

He also pointed to an anonymous letter penned in one of the newspapers, stating that a scientific poll, which is allegedly being financed by a group of foreign businessmen and circulated by opposition-aligned platforms, has shown a specific outcome.

“Calling something scientific doesn’t mean it’s scientific,” Dr Jagdeo said, highlighting inconsistencies such as not stating the methodology.

Dr Jagdeo further rubbished the opposition’s claims of a hung parliament and further called out the opposition for attempting to suppress the PPP/C’s turnouts at its rallies and public meetings and even telling PPP/C supporters not to come out and vote.

Dr Jagdeo, while branding the opposition parties as “schizophrenic,” said: “It’s designed to create a narrative out there that is false. So, at one time crowds matter and when the PPP started getting huge crowds and they are getting small numbers of people, then crowds cease to matter anymore.”

The PPP/C General Secretary said that the opposition is in disarray and is resorting to a number of tactics, pointing to Sunday when Henry Jeffrey mounted APNU’s platform and stated that race voting is acceptable.