Dear Editor,
The call by the main Opposition, APNU, and later echoed by other political parties, organizations, and citizens, for a clean voters’ list and house-to-house registration, was not only justifiable but necessary. Allow me to share my personal experience and observations during Disciplined Forces Balloting on Friday, August 22, 2025.
Party Agents were presented with folders containing the “Disciplined Forces Folios.” On examining the information, I noted that several persons were required to swear to an “oath of identity” in the absence of their National Identification Card, as provided for under the Representation of the People Act, Cap. 1:03. To my surprise, in many instances, it was difficult to recognize individuals due to changes in their features and body mass since the photos were taken years ago.
The only way an agent could confirm the identity of someone presenting as “Tom Jones” was by cross-checking their parents’ names, date of birth, and, where possible, their addresses. all listed in the folio.
This clearly demonstrates why house-to-house registration should have been conducted after 2020 instead of merely relying on “continuous registration.” The Carter Center (2020) and several local observer groups had also raised concerns about the accuracy of the Official List of Electors (OLE).
Unfortunately, the leadership of GECOM has failed Guyanese, allowing itself to be hijacked, manipulated, and weaponized by a few politicians whose only interest is political survival at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Editor, permit me also to highlight what was captured by one media house following the Disciplined Services Balloting. Ms. Amanza Walton-Desir, representing FGM, while entering the compound of St. Stanislaus College (a polling site), encountered two young men dressed in black clothing, with “Sheriff Security” inscribed on their sleeves.
In the recording, Ms. Walton-Desir is heard asking if they had voted. One responded affirmatively, then turned back and pointed upward with his index finger. This troubling revelation must be flagged and investigated by GECOM, which, according to its own mandate under the Constitution of Guyana, Article 162, is responsible for ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.
This issue again underscores the need for house-to-house registration. For example, the current OLE lists many persons’ occupations as “cook,” “businessman,” or “labourer,” yet today they are serving in the Guyana Police Force. Based on my personal observation at the Disciplined Forces Balloting, this is more than a clerical oversight—it is a systemic failure for which GECOM must be held accountable.
Another major issue concerns the numbers reported. One news outlet stated that 3,000 military personnel were scheduled to vote on Disciplined Services Day, while GECOM had earlier announced that 10,226 members of the Disciplined Services were expected to cast ballots (see GECOM Press Release, August 2025).
This inconsistency raises serious questions. Why did GECOM fail to disaggregate these numbers across the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, and Guyana Prison Service? Did GECOM request updated lists from the Forces, including the removal of personnel who died in the line of duty, as many such cases have been publicly reported in the press?
The reported difference of about 7,000 between GECOM’s 10,226 and the GDF’s 3,000 further raises doubt. Are we to assume that this figure is accounted for by the Police Force and Prison Service? This is difficult to reconcile, especially since we are constantly told that the disciplined services are understaffed and recruiting (see Kaieteur News, Aug 2025).
Returning to Ms. Walton-Desir’s encounter, can we conclude that those young men, supposedly from Sheriff Security, were once members of the Police Force but never had their employment status updated? Again, this highlights the weakness of continuous registration. Had house-to-house registration been conducted, this problem would not be with us today.
In closing, I submit that the concerns raised here must be urgently examined by GECOM’s leadership. The public deserves a clear explanation of how these matters will be addressed going forward, if there is to be any trust in the electoral process.
Yours truly,
Annette Ferguson
