2025 Regional and General elections: GECOM enforces emergency quorum after another Opposition walkout

… “sabotage is now clear” – Gunraj

Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Sase Gunraj, has condemned what he describes as clear attempts to sabotage the electoral planning process, following another walkout by opposition-nominated commissioners that disrupted a statutory meeting on Tuesday.
Last week, GECOM’s statutory meeting was halted when the three opposition-nominated commissioners, Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman, and Charles Corbin, staged a walkout, preventing the quorum needed for the meeting to proceed. At this week’s meeting on Tuesday, three Government-nominated commissioners, Gunraj, Clement Rohee, and Manoj Narayan were present, along with two opposition-nominated members, Trotman and Alexander. However, shortly after the meeting was called to order, Trotman reportedly walked out, allegedly indicating that he does not wish to proceed in the absence of the commissions ability to deal with previous matters.
“The sabotage is now clear,” Gunraj stated in a social media post following the incident. Meanwhile, speaking with reporters virtually on Tuesday, Gunraj confirmed that the Opposition walkout triggered the collapse of a statutory meeting, jeopardising critical decisions required for election readiness.
“As a consequence, the meeting lost the quorum and we were unable to have that statutory meeting as planned. So not only were we not able to have any discussion on the matters that were not placed on the agenda item, but we were not also able to discuss matters that are related to the holding of elections…the chairman has already sent a notice for a meeting on Thursday and as provided for by the constitution, on Thursday, the quorum is a bit different. Because it’s an adjourned, a meeting adjourned on account of the lack of quorum or losing quorum, the chairman and any three commissioners who are present on Thursday constitutes a quorum,” Gunraj explained.

Emergency quorum rule
In a move to prevent further gridlock, GECOM is set to enforce a three-commissioner quorum rule.
Under current procedures, the quorum for statutory meetings requires the presence of the Chairperson and at least two commissioners from both the Government and opposition sides.
However, Gunraj revealed that a revised quorum structure, consisting of the Chairperson and any three commissioners, has been invoked under constitutional provisions to allow GECOM’s work to continue. This rule, he said, though rarely used, is now GECOM’s key mechanism for bypassing what he described as “deliberate stalling.”
So far, he said, GECOM’s approved work plan remains achievable, and preparations continue at pace. The continuous registration process concluded on May 30 and claims and objections will begin later this month.

Nomination Day, withdrawals
Additionally, Nomination Day has already been announced for July 14, 2025, which will allow for the submission of Lists of Candidates for the upcoming General and Regional Elections. On the designated day, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) will be available to receive the Lists between the hours of 10:00h (10am) and 14:00h (2pm) at the Umana Yana, High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.
Several important deadlines accompany the submission of these lists. The following day, July 15, is reserved for notifying the CEO in writing of any death or withdrawal of a candidate. Also on this day, the CEO will inform representatives and their deputies of any defects found in submitted lists. By July 17, corrected lists must be submitted, and further notification of any withdrawals must also be made. On July 18th, GECOM will issue notifications regarding the approval or non-approval of the candidate lists. Parties dissatisfied with disapprovals may lodge appeals with the High Court by July 20th.
On July 21, representatives and their deputies must inform the CEO in writing of any joinder of lists. The entire process culminates on July 23 with the gazetting of the approved lists.
The notice was issued under the hand of GECOM Chairperson, Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and dated June 2nd, 2025.
The 2025 General and Regional Elections is set for September 1.