Changes to nomination form aim to curb abuse, reinforce electoral fairness, transparency – GECOM

Amidst complaints by some political parties over the recent changes made to the Nomination Form, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has defended its actions saying that this modified version aims to prevent any abuse, and promote transparency in the electoral process.
Last week, GECOM announced that the Nomination Form, which is statutorily required to be submitted along with the Lists of Candidates by political parties contesting General and Regional Elections, has been amended to cater for greater accuracy and to guard against misuse.
However, at an engagement hosted by the Elections Secretariat on Thursday, several parties expressed concerns with the changes, noting that all the work done prior to compile their Lists of Candidates would now have to be redone ahead of the July 14 Nomination Day.
But in a statement on Friday, GECOM acknowledged the timing of the amendment and the challenges that the procedural changes may present to parties. In the same breath, however, the Elections Commission remained that it is mandated to operate within the powers vested in it by law to safeguard a fair, transparent, and credible electoral process for all stakeholders.
“As was conveyed to representatives of the concerned party during a recent engagement, the amendment was introduced as part of GECOM’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process. Specifically, the revised form requires political parties to demonstrate the requisite level of public support across each of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions,” the missive detailed.
According to GECOM, this measure was agreed upon with no objections by the seven-member Commission “…as a necessary step to mitigate risks of abuse and to strengthen the credibility of the nomination process. Importantly, the requirement applies equally to all political parties and is designed to promote fairness, transparency, and confidence in the electoral framework.”
Nevertheless, the Elections Commission reiterates that it remains committed to continuous engagement with all stakeholders to ensure that the nomination process is clearly understood and that the necessary support is available. GECOM added that it stands ready to provide clarification and assistance to any party requiring further guidance as they work collaboratively to ensure that the 2025 General and Regional Elections are inclusive, transparent, and credible.
In addition to the nomination form changes, representatives of several parties, following Thursday’s engagement, also expressed concerns about GECOM’s preparedness to host the upcoming elections.
However, Deputy Chief Elections Officers (DCEO), Aneal Giddings, assured of the Elections Secretariat’s readiness to deliver a free and transparent election on September 1.
“From the point of view of the Secretariat [and] where we are with preparation, where we are with the work plan, I am confident that we will deliver a free, transparent and credible elections come September 1,” Giddings told reporters.
Meanwhile, GECOM said 16 political parties attended Thursday’s meeting which sought to provide technical guidance in preparation for Nomination Day.
“I believe it is very important to understand the aspects regarding the preparation and submission of the various Lists of Candidates. Many parties had a lot of questions. It is a very technical process, so it has a lot of requirements, and I believe this [engagement] was very appropriate. And from the reaction of the persons who attended, I believe that it was a success,” the DCEO told reporters after the meeting.
According to Giddings, both he and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, have been in constant contact with the various parties, making themselves available for any queries heading into the upcoming electoral activities.
Prior to next month’s Nomination Day, the political parties contesting the upcoming polls are required to submit their symbols by June 22. These symbols, once approved, will be included on the ballot paper to represent the respective parties.
GECOM said on Friday that to date, 28 symbols have been submitted.
On Nomination Day, the CEO will accept submissions at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown, from 10:00h to 14:00h.
The timeline for election-related activities after Nomination Day includes: July 15: Notification of any death or withdrawal of candidates and feedback on defects in the lists; July 17: Submission of corrected lists and further withdrawals; July 18: Issuance of approval or rejection notices by GECOM; July 20: Deadline for appeals to the High Court; July 21: Deadline for notifications of joinder of lists; and July 23: Publication (gazetting) of the approved Lists of Candidates.
Meanwhile, the next milestone event will be August 22, when members of the Disciplined Services will be allowed to cast their ballots ahead of the September 1 election day.