GECOM yet to outline clear procedures for nomination day - Hughes

GECOM yet to outline clear procedures for nomination day – Hughes

Jul 12, 2025 News

Leader of the AFC Nigel Hughes.

Kaieteur News – Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to outline clear procedures for nomination day, in order to avoid chaos and confusion when it is time for parties to submit their list of candidates.

Hughes said Friday that his party had written the Chief Election Office (CEO) Vishnu Persaud specifically asking him about the procedure for the presentation of the list, but to date have received no response.

He lamented, “what we know today is that the presentation will take place at the Umana Yana. We have engaged with the Guyana Police Force in an effort to make sure that at least our presentation is done as orderly as possible.”

He said he understands GECOM is likely to be at the location around midnight on Sunday, but currently there are four political parties camping outside of the Umana Yana. The APNU arrived first, AFC second, followed by ALP, and then Forward Guyana.

“…and we really believe that this country has reached a stage where everyone ought to know what the specific procedures are at every given stage in the electoral process. So, we shouldn’t be hearing on Saturday or Friday or Sunday what the procedure is for the presentation of the list, because this is particularly important, and it has consequences for the persons who are on the list,” he said.

It is in the interest of this that the AFC is repeating the call it made on July 1, when it wrote GECOM to let all parties and the public know “specifically what the procedures are for the submission of the list.”

This publication reached out to GECOM’s public relations officer, Yolanda Ward to get confirmation on the letter Hughes spoke of, as well as if the any specific procedures were looked at.

She was asked specifically during the telephone interview “Mister Hughes at his press conference, spoke about a letter he wrote to GECOM in relation to the commission outlining proper procedures and systems for parties to be able to submit their list of candidates, instead of having the chaos like in the recent years, but they have not gotten a response, is this something that you can look into?”

Ward said she was not aware of any such letter however she, “can check and I can give you feedback. I’m not aware of any letter… that’s not to say that it was not sent or it wasn’t received. I’m just not aware. I have to find out and let you know.”

For further clarification the reporter asked if GECOM has been looking at any systems to be put in place to, “avoid any sort of confusion, on nomination day when parties are coming to present their list because you know sometimes it is a whole rush of who gets in first, and all of that, because that was his (Hughes) main concern, the confusion that the day normally has.”

Ward promised to return a call saying, “when I call back, I will give you a response to your query.” Several calls back to Ward close to press time went unanswered.

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GECOM, Guyana Elections 2025, Hughes, Nomination Day, Umana Yana, Vishnu Persaud

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