The Guyanese electorate appears to be caught in a confusing game of peek-a-boo, as government and opposition representatives on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) remain split over the electoral machinery’s readiness to host the September 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Last week, Opposition Commissioner Vincent Alexander lamented the Commission’s inability to meet on Thursday owing to the absence of the Chairperson, Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh.
The Commissioner said that it was alarming that, despite less than 60 days before the elections, the meeting was postponed amid critical outstanding issues. These include whether the incarcerated will vote; how the names of those reported dead by the Commissioner of Police and the Chief Medical Officer will be deleted from the voters’ list; how the non-resident ballots will be counted; and issues related to the procurement of sensitive and non-sensitive items.
He said that “GECOM Chairperson’s constructive cancellation of yet another meeting” comes on the heels of “much to be done and resistance to doing much of what’s to be done”.
Alexander’s comments do indeed paint a picture of pussyfooting at the commission, but his Government counterpart, Clement Rohee, hold a different brush.
He claims that Alexander’s utterance is nothing more than “a reckless PR campaign to bring GECOM into disrepute”.
“…He (Alexander) forgot that Thursday meetings of GECOM are not Statutory Meetings. From my recollection, Thursday meetings are Special Meetings convened to discuss ‘time sensitive issues,’ meaning tasks that must be completed on the very day they are scheduled for completion so as not to jeopardise GECOM’s work plan for the elections,” Rohee said.
He added that there were no ‘time sensitive issues’ slated for discussion following last Tuesday’s July 1, Statutory Meeting of the Commission that warranted a Special Meeting on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
“Furthermore, I do not recall receiving any notice for that day, nor was an agenda for such a meeting circulated. Commonsense would tell us; no notification, no agenda, no meeting,” he said.
Rohee also noted that with regard to the incarcerated being allowed to vote, Justice Singh has always maintained that ‘Section 55 of the Prison Act Cap 11:01, makes it an offence for a person without a lawful excuse to speak or communicate with any prisoner.
He added that the Chair is on record stating that ‘due to the said prohibition, no contact can be made with prisoners without legislation so authorising it.’
Now that parliament stands dissolved, Rohee said that Alexander is left at the crossroads.
Rohee said that as far as he’s aware, there are no critical tasks outstanding, save and except for internet connectivity for some Offices.
“Other than that, and contrary to Commissioner Alexander’s frolicking, I am convinced that GECOM is on track with all other tasks as its work plan indicates,” Rohee concluded.
The Guyanese electorate, however, remains suspended in uncertainty. On one hand, there’s the image of a commission dragging its feet; on the other, a narrative of steady progress. Is GECOM on track or not?
