Alliance for Change (AFC) Executive and MP Beverley Alert has called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to overhaul its systems before the upcoming General and Regional Elections in 2025. Speaking at an AFC press conference yesterday, Alert expressed deep concern over the adequacy of current safeguards against electoral fraud.
“There is growing apprehension that without improved systems, the next elections could once again lead to public unrest,” Alert warned. “The assurances from GECOM about safeguards against multiple voting, voter impersonation, and other irregularities seem insufficient, especially considering the issues observed in 2020.”
Alert said there were several issues from the last election that remain unaddressed, including evidence that votes were cast in the names of deceased people, immigration records showing votes cast by individuals not present in the country on polling day and recount results indicating that required documents were missing from ballot boxes.
According to Alert, these problems should have prompted a significant review of GECOM’s processes. Instead, she added, the commission continues to issue press releases without meaningful action. “When was the last time GECOM held a public education meeting or engaged with first-time voters?” she asked. “The commission cannot rely on press releases to address these critical issues.”
She reported that from 2021 to 2024, GECOM received about $16.7 billion in funding. Despite these significant allocations — $4 billion in 2021, $4.1 billion in 2022, $5.2 billion in 2023, and $3.5 billion in 2024 — the outcomes have been underwhelming, she said. The electorate witnessed only minimal progress, such as a local government election and an unpublished feasibility study, she added.
The AFC acknowledged the limitations of existing electoral laws, including those related to the removal of names from the electoral roll and the use of biometrics. However, des-pite the passage of four years since the 2020 election turmoil, Alert said, GECOM has yet to propose any legislative amendments to restore public confidence. “Current public trust is at an all-time low, with many young and first-time voters questioning the efficacy of participating in the electoral process,” Alert said.
The responsibility for conducting fair and transparent elections rests with GECOM, “the system that failed in 2020 will not be acceptable in 2025,” Alert concluded. “GECOM must heed international recommendations to update the electoral register and address the concerns raised by both the EU and CARICOM.”
