The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is expected to meet again on Thursday to discuss a work plan for the 1st September General Elections, after the three-opposition aligned Commissioners walked out of Tuesday’s meeting.

Election Commissioner, Vincent Alexander told News Source that the opposition-nominated Commissioners, himself included, are expected to attend Thursday’s meeting. However, he said they intend to make a case as to why President Irfaan Ali should have been better advised by the Elections Commission on the Commission’s state of readiness for elections.

Mr. Alexander is adamant that GECOM would not be in a position to meet a number of statutory deadlines, with the 1st September date.

“All we can do is to continue to insist that the statutory deadlines are adhered to, that we are involved in the decision-making process and that recommendations which are essential to a proper voters’ list are adhered to. For example, there is the issue of biometrics. We have gone beyond that issue to suggest that the names of persons who are overseas, which can be provided and should be provided statutorily by the Chief Immigration Officer are underlined in the voters’ list,” Alexander said.

He said the statutory timelines traditionally used for Claims and Objections, submission of the list of candidates among others, must not be compromised.

Alexander said added to that, GECOM was in the process of discussing a number of critical issues – which include the right of the incarcerated to vote, in particular those on remand.

He said the issue is a Human Rights issue, and while the President is constitutionally required to name a date for election, GECOM is also obligated to produce a free and fair election, in which no one is disenfranchised.

He explained that the opposition nominated Commissioners walked out of Tuesday’s meeting after the Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Re’d) Claudette Singh, introduced the revised work plan without offering the Commission an explanation for advising the President that GECOM would be in a position to hold Elections on September 1.

He said it was not until after the opposition nominated Commissioners demanded an answer that the Chairman explained that she consulted the Chief Election Officer before advising the President.

“The PPP commissioner said our concerns were non-issues and that we should simply endorse the private plan and move on. We refused to be railroaded and withdrew. Then wanted to proceed in our absence but the CEO advised them against that,” he said.

The Chief Election Officer, Vishnu Persaud, in a statement today, explained that the Commission was not provided with a work plan in the past, but rather a schedule of activities, and that the work plan submitted following the President’s announcement must be considered.

But Alexander has accused the Chairman of GECOM and the CEO of being deceptive.

“This deceptive, corrupt and ostentatious manner of the administrative of GECOM`s affairs has been pervasive for the entire period since the 2020 elections. In the first instance, there was the refusal to evaluate the conduct of the 2020 elections, a standard and precedented activity, based on the erroneous contention that such a review would have collided with the jurisdiction of the Court. Another instance of hinderance was the orchestrated delay in discussing the issue of digital fingerprinting at registration, and the use of fingerprints for voter identification, at the place of vote. Though proposed as early as 2023, this matter only made the agenda in late 2024, into 2025 to be confronted with spurious arguments about legality, the need for legislative intervention and ultimately the inadequacy of time for meaningful attention to be paid to the issue, in time for the impending 2025 elections,” he said.

Alexander said as it is right now, the ingredients for free, fair and transparent election are missing.

Related posts:

GECOM says Chairman consulted CEO before informing President of Election timeline Opposition nominated Election Commissioners blindsided by September 1 Election date; Concerned over GECOM’s readiness GECOM could be ready for General and Regional Elections by late September GECOM to meet Friday to further discuss final candidates for CEO job and interview process