GECOM flags defects in candidates’ lists of five parties

Jul 17, 2025 News

…says PPP/C and APNU are flawless

Kaieteur News – The ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic and the opposition A Partnership for National Unity are the only two parties without defects to their candidates list, sources at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have confirmed.

Kaieteur News understands that the other parties, the Alliance For Change (AFC), Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) and the Horizon and Star party have all been notified about defects to their list.

The AFC, FGM and WIN were notified of the shortcomings on their regional lists of candidates submitted to the elections body on Nomination Day.

Responding to queries about the purported defects on its list, AFC agent, Nicola Trotman said the Commission has notified the party of its objection.

“GECOM has notified us that of a supposed shortfall in our list in our regional list. However, the requirement is the regional list must be no less than 15 and no more than 25 candidates…We have met the requirement, so, as far as I’m concerned, GECOM is just playing games. So, our list should not be categorised as having a defect,” Trotman explained. She said the party has since responded to GECOM and provided proof that the same format was used and gazetted before.

Nevertheless, she said the AFC is prepared to make the necessary adjustments to its regional list.

GECOM flags defects in candidates’ lists of five parties

The ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic on Nomination Day

“While it’s to be unnecessary …However, since it is important, we already have candidates in place to make up the numbers they claimed that we are missing.”

When contacted, representatives of Forward Guyana Movement and WIN stated that they could not comment on the issue but were working with GECOM to rectify the shortcomings.

In a statement Monday evening, at the conclusion of Nomination Day, GECOM said all lists submitted were securely transferred to GECOM’s data processing centre. The Commission explained that the centre has been professionally structured to manage both the general and regional elections submissions, with designated teams assigned to each set of nominations.

The Commission stated, “in line with our commitment to electoral integrity, all data is being carefully entered into a secure processing system. Each list undergoes thorough verification and validation, including cross-checks against the revised list of electors, examination of nominators, and confirmation of candidate eligibility.”

The Commission noted that by July 15, 2025, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud would notify all political parties if any of the information submitted is found to be defective and requires correction. Political parties will then have 24 hours to make their final submissions.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Nomination Day 2025

Moreover, during a post-deadline briefing with members of the media at Umana Yana, Persaud explained that work continues at the level of the secretariat. “We are now required to process these lists to ensure that they meet the statutory requirements and once they do, then they will be approved to contest the election. If they don’t, they will be given an opportunity to remedy the defects and once those are remedied, then they will go forward to be approved to contest the election.”

He noted further that his role is to ensure the documentary requirements are met. The CEO indicated that the statutory review process for the lists of candidates should conclude on Thursday. “It has to be processed…on Friday, we are scheduled as per our work plan, to have the commission approve, approved list of candidates to contest elections, and that is when the final number and the lists of those that will be contesting will be known,” he said.

Once approved, he said, GECOM will begin the design of the ballot papers. Persaud noted that the ballots are not printed locally, but overseas. He said ballots, tally sheets, and statements of poll have traditionally been printed overseas by reliable service providers such as the Canadian Bank Note Company. According to him, GECOM has never encountered issues with the quality of work.

“Meanwhile, we are doing our logistical work in preparation for the elections. Ballots come back. We do extraction for conduct of discipline services balloting, and then we pack ballot boxes to go to for election day, September 1…,” he stated.

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APNU, Elections, GECOM, People’s Progressive Party Civic, Umana Yana

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