GECOM must crack down on parties fraudulently inflating candidate lists – Jagdeo

…warns of deliberate attempts by Opposition to mislead public ahead of 2025 polls

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to take firm and impartial action against any political party found fraudulently inflating candidate lists or intimidating citizens ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.

Speaking during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo raised serious concerns about repeated attempts, particularly by opposition-aligned parties, to mislead the public and undermine the electoral process. He emphasised that these actions, if unchecked, could erode public trust in the country’s democratic institutions.
“I hope that GECOM will pay attention to this. They should take firm actions against any party, any political party that is threatening people not to go on another party’s list. They should also take firm action against parties that are fraudulently putting people on their backers list. You recall I have here a news article from 2018: ‘Cops to probe claim that AFC fraudulently procure names for backers’ lists’… AFC is back at it again and APNU. They’re back at fraudulently getting people to support their list,” the vice president claimed.
Additionally, Jagdeo highlighted a pattern of abuse by opposition elements, referencing past incidents, including a 2018 case where Alliance for Change (AFC) operatives were accused of collecting signatures under false pretences. He explained that in many cases, people were told they were signing petitions for community improvements or social programmes, only to discover their names on a nomination list for a party they never intended to support.
He also drew comparisons to similar cases in the recent local government elections, noting that even when the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) made internal errors, corrective actions were taken quickly and transparently.
“We asked the police to probe it, but it was too short a period. People came forward and said, ‘I never supported this group here.’ They told me they came around and said we’re signing a petition for better drainage in the area, and then we signed on to the list, and this is what happened. So, I hope that GECOM will take strong action against people of all – any political party that does this… GECOM should take strong action against those who are doing this fraudulently, and the police should also do so,” he urged.
Responding to opposition claims of voter disenfranchisement, Jagdeo dismissed arguments suggesting that polling agents are being unfairly barred from voting where they are assigned. He noted that the law already provides for alternates and that this issue was resolved in previous elections, including in 2015 and 2020.
Further, he rebutted the narrative around prisoner voting rights, stating that the matter had been “definitively dealt with” in the past and should not be weaponised for political gain.

Nomination Day; withdrawals
The 2025 general and regional elections are set for September 1.
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.