With 25 days to elections, GECOM warns Guyanese against fake news threat

Guyana: With only 25 days left until the September 1 General and Regional elections, the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) has warned the citizens of Guyana to remain vigilant in the fight against misinformation.

The Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) issued a statement on August 6 as the country is approaching election time warning of the false narrative that is being spread across the citizens of Guyana to undermine the elections process. 

In the press release the GECOM warned as they are diligently working to implement a plan for the conducting of crucial upcoming elections there has been a false narrative that has risen across various social media platforms threatening to undermine the upcoming General and Regional elections. 

GECOM further emphasised on the importance of the citizens of Guyana being aware of the harm that fake news can cause, as they can sow confusion in the community as well as erode the confidence of the public on democratic institutions leading to lesser number of voters in the voting process. 

GECOM noted that citizens, stakeholders such as voters, civil society organisations,political parties, and media outlets should only depend on them when it comes to authentic credible election news as they are the primary source. 

They have advised for accurate and timely news on the elections citizens should follow their official channels as the independent commission will continue to release accurate and timely information via their official channels and social media pages.

Accordingly citizens are to remain vigilant and at high alert against any information they come across that’s related to the elections by cross referencing the information with GECOM official statements before sharing it. 

This will ensure the conducting of a free, transparent and fair election. GECOM along with the official press release have shared their website for the citizens of Guyana to be able to easily access vital election information. 

The commission has urged the stakeholders to not just believe every news and share it, but exercise their critical thinking capabilities through verifying any information they come across with reliable sources. 

The press release concluded with GECOM emphasizing through working together to guard the integrity of the country’s democratic process then the September 1 elections are bound to reflect the true will for a fair election amongst the Guyanese people.