Guyana’s electoral system has become susceptible to corrupt voting by foreigners - Alexander

Guyana’s electoral system has become susceptible to corrupt voting by foreigners – Alexander

Jul 02, 2025 News

Opposition-nominated commissioner, Vincent Alexander

Kaieteur News – Opposition nominated commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vincent Alexander has expressed concerns over the number of foreigners who are able to obtain birth certificates and ultimately the right to vote in elections here.

In his recent appearance on the programme, “Context” hosted by Journalist, Enrico Woolford, Alexander shared his contentions at how loosely a person born outside of Guyana could obtain a Guyanese birth certificate.

“In the last five years, the law has been changed to allow someone to turn up to say that a Toshao has identified him/ her of having been born in the [Indigenous] village and by virtue of that, that person can obtain a Guyanese birth certificate. Once you have a Guyanese birth certificate, you can turn up at GECOM to register to vote, so this problem goes beyond GECOM,” he said.

According to Alexander, “The law provides for it so it goes beyond us at GECOM and people might argue that the Toshao has to sign an affidavit so that means that they can be brought before the court for falsifying a document, but the fact remains is what we have created is an opening to allow for persons who are not necessarily Guyanese to be given Guyanese citizenship.”

He stressed that in terms of Region One, there has been a significant rise in the number of people registered to vote.

“It makes you ask yourself; were these people naturally born in Guyana or have there been a significant number of people who acquire birth certificates under the pretext that their parents were Guyanese or under the pretext that the Toshao has attested to them being born in Guyana,” Alexander noted.
He asserted that Guyana has a system that can be seen as legal but is susceptible to corruption.

“…And it impacts the electoral roll because it allows people unto the roll that may very well not be entitled to be there.”

“If you can prove heritage, in other words if your parents are Guyanese or you were birthed by Guyanese; you are entitled to be Guyanese but it would require some documentation … but an important point has been raised that goes beyond you having a right to be Guyanese. In Guyana, the legal architecture is manipulated in ways that hinders free and fair elections,” he continued.

The GECOM Commissioner described the issue as a ‘Pandora’s box’ for manufacturing fake Guyanese via affidavit issued by a Toshao or senior official.
He told Kaieteur News that the system is “consciously corrupted.”

According to him, GECOM has not taken a stance on the matter because it is not something executed by the elections body; birth certificates are issued at the General Registrar’s Office (GRO). He explained too that it is the amendments made to the legislation that relates the registration of births and deaths that allows foreigners easy access to documentation without adequate vetting.

“I believe that the government has consciously corrupted the system to facilitate those people, because they think that the people will vote for them… I believe that the law that was changed in 2022 should be repealed,” Alexander argued.

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corruption, foreigners, GECOM, legally, Vincent Alexander, voting

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