GECOM exposes AFC’s disinformation over unanswered meeting invitations

…says party yet to respond to GECOM Chair’s invitation to meet

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has attracted more criticism- this time from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), over misinformation, with the party’s claims that it was waiting to meet with GECOM on critical issues being debunked by the electoral body.
During a recent press conference, AFC leader Nigel Hughes had claimed that his party could not conduct its review of the 2020 General and Regional elections, presumably to see if it was culpable in electoral rigging, because it was still waiting on a meeting with GECOM.

As it turns out, however, GECOM Chairperson, (Ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh wrote AFC since November 27, 2024, inviting them to a meeting on the December 3, 2024. GECOM revealed that to date, however, no response has been received.
“The AFC wrote a letter dated September 9, 2024, addressed to Mr Vishnu Persaud, Chief Election Officer (CEO), requesting a meeting for the new Executive of this Party to be apprised of “GECOM’s preparations for future elections and how it intends to address burning issues about electoral integrity.”
“The CEO wrote a response dated September 11, 2024, copied to the GECOM Chairman, advising the AFC that he (CEO) does not have the authority to arrange meetings on behalf of the Commission and that the letter should be addressed to the Chairman,” GECOM explained.
It was noted that when this correspondence was brought to Justice Singh’s attention, she took the initiative to write to GECOM on September 23, 2024, proposing either the dates of October 8 or 22, 2024, for a meeting.
“It was not until October 17, 2024 that the Party wrote the GECOM Chairman expressing regrets for the delay in responding and noting that this lapse was due to overseas travel by the Leader and other key executive members,” GECOM explained.

When prompted by GECOM via letter on October 18, 2024, to state what they wished to discuss, the AFC sent a letter dated November 11, laying out the issues. They included “GECOM’s reasons for rejecting the introduction of biometrics as a tool for improving the credibility of all electoral processes; GECOM’S willingness to allow party scrutineers to vote on the same date as the Disciplined Forces; GECOM’s views on the willingness to support, the purging of the List of Electors of persons who are not ordinarily resident in Guyana, or deceased.
GECOM pointed out that the issues listed have nothing to do with reviewing the last election, as AFC claimed was its intention. And even when the Chairperson responded on November 27, proposing December 3 as the date for the next meeting, AFC never responded.
“The allegations made by Mr Hughes and Mr Patterson are not supported by factual evidence and serve only to sow discord among Stakeholders regarding the electoral process. In view of the foregoing, we urge all political leaders to engage in responsible discourse based on verified facts rather than unfounded claims that can mislead voters and erode trust in the Commission.”
“It is essential that the maintenance of confidence in GECOM can rely on accurate information during discussions on critical issues such as the preparations for and conduct of elections. While operating in line with the relevant statutory provisions and in accordance with its own set policy for engagement, GECOM recognises that it is subject to oversight from multiple independent local and international organisations.”
According to GECOM, all of these organisations are focused on compliance with standards associated with transparency and accountability in the electoral processes. The commission also assured that it will continue to take steps to ensure everyone is informed on the next steps towards next year’s General and Regional elections. (G3)