Guyana Elections 2025: GECOM reaffirms readiness, pledges transparent polls on Sept 1

Guyana: With just days to go before the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) held a press conference on Monday, August 25, to reaffirm its commitment to conducting free, fair, and orderly elections. The conference also provided a detailed update on GECOM's preparations and addressed emerging issues.

The conference featured the Chief Election Officer, Vishnu Persaud, Deputy Chief Election Officer Anil Giddens and Education Manager Nardio Pasal. 

Balloting process and transparency 

The Chief Election Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud began by offering the GECOM operations update and  commenting on the conduct of the discipline forces balloting that was done last Friday August 22. 

He said, “The discipline forces balloting was conducted in compliance with the laws and commission policy decisions that guide the conduct of discipline forces balloting.”

“Notwithstanding a few early morning glitches from our end.” the CEO acknowledged that GECOM had a few early morning glitches, but affirmed that the whole election was conducted as per laws. 

“At the end of the day when we would have done our internal work, we were able to conclude that the turnout for discipline forces balloting was 83%.” 

He further acknowledged some problems that GECOM had run into while in the process. “There is one issue that emerged during the point of sorting of Discipline Forces Bulletin, which, as you may be aware, sorting means bringing the ballots cast by Discipline Forces to a point where we can dispatch them to predetermine polling stations to be intermixed and counted as ordinary ballots. In close to the end of that activity, we ran into a situation where we have two extra ballots in the set of ballots for District 4, one short for District 5, and one short for District 10.”

This is a matter, he said, that was interrogated and is set to be discussed by the Commission, along with recommendations and methodologies on how the problem can be fixed. 

Persaud went on to state that another problem they have run into is people declining their appointments as presiding officers which has resulted in GECOM seeking replacements. 

“Election day, insofar as we are concerned, staffing from the level of returning officer, where applicable, supernumerary returning officer, then deputy returning officers, deputy supernumerary returning officers, all of these people are in place. We have logistics plans that are unfolding as we speak. I do not foresee any hiccups at this time, and that is not to say that none will emerge, but from our end, based on our chain of command, we are in a position to respond with alacrity should any issue arise.”

Persaud further noted a new change in the handling of the statement of polls, highlighting that the statements of poll will be placed in envelopes that would be sealed. The new security feature is now introduced with provision for all of the agents who would have participated in the count at the level of the police station to sign on that envelope attesting to the integrity of the contents of that envelope. 

Following the receipt of the statement, the law requires that the receipt of the statement be scanned and uploaded onto the GECOM website. 

“It is only when that is completed that tabulation of the votes to determine the results for the district or subdistrict will commence.” 

Persaud emphasised that the tabulation will be done in the  most transparent manner, with every statement of poll  placed on a desk and camera will be placed over that statement of poll inorder to assure transparency. 

“That statement of poll will not be removed until the persons who are authorized to be in that room are satisfied with the accuracy of the information transferred. So the process continues. There will be a running number at the top by parties that will tell you as we progress these are the progressive totals.”

Persaud urged the citizens of Guyana not to accept results from any statutory body or anyone aside from GECOM as the counting and final results will be proclaimed by them only. 

Guyana is expected to experience a tight end election on September 1, tied between the three major contending parties. PPP/C, WIN, APNU all vying for the seat to rule Guyana in the next 5 years.