With the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections fast approaching, early voting by the Disciplined Services has already sparked controversy. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) confirmed Monday that 83% of eligible service members cast their ballots on Friday, August 22, but the process was not without flaws.
According to GECOM, over 10,000 officers from the Guyana Defence Force, Police Force, and Prison Service were registered to vote early. But serious concerns emerged during the ballot sorting phase, raising fears over the integrity of the upcoming national poll.
At a press briefing, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud admitted to troubling inconsistencies in the count:
“We ran into a situation where we have two extra ballots in the set for District Four, one short for District Five, and one short for District Ten,” the CEO stated.
He confirmed that an internal review is underway and that a memo with findings and proposed corrective measures will be submitted to the Commission:
“Our interrogation of this matter has led us to a point where we have zoned in on what could have caused this problem.”
Analyst Warns of Wider Electoral Manipulation
Following these disclosures, this publication spoke with a respected statistician and long-time election observer, who warned that the discrepancies could signal a more extensive scheme of election tampering.
“The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is seeking to rig the elections. I am certain their systems are already programmed to issue the vote count they seek. Their slip-up with the Joint Services votes—where the actual numbers say one thing and the computer-generated information says another—is a preview of how they intend to do it.”
The analyst referenced historical precedent to bolster his contention:
”Concerns about electoral manipulation aren’t new. Back in 1997, allegations surfaced that vote counts were altered within GECOM, with some pointing to the involvement of the Depoo brothers. Many still believe this contributed to the outcome against President Desmond Hoyte. The challenge for the PPP today is how they will align any disputed results with the actual turnout at the polls.”
The analyst also claimed that the PPP is relying on inflated crowds at rallies to create the illusion of popularity, which could be used to justify manipulated vote totals:
“All their rent-a-crowd rallies are for optics—so that when they publish their fictitious numbers produced in GECOM, they’ll claim everyone who was at the rallies turned out and voted for them.”
A Call for Vigilance at the Polls
Citing the possible manipulation of the Official List of Electors (OLE) and the strategic placement of PPP loyalists as Returning Officers and new “Supernumerary Returning Officers” in key regions (3, 4, 5, and 6), the analyst urged citizens to be extra vigilant:
“We must all be at the polling stations and be patient. Let nothing frustrate us into leaving before we vote. The PPP and GECOM, with help from the police, will do their utmost to frustrate voters in non-PPP strongholds.”
He warned of potential pre-election tactics such as detentions and disruptions aimed at lowering turnout:
“Look out for petty arrests this week where they will try to hold people from Saturday and Sunday. They’re desperate to suppress the vote.”
In a chilling conclusion, the analyst warned of the long-term implications should the PPP secure a supermajority:
“If the PPP gets back in power with the two-thirds majority they seek, we are all doomed—Black people and Indians alike. We will have a full-fledged dictatorship like Russia or Venezuela. If that occurs, our full and true freedom will not come by the ballot box—but by social unrest. That’s how pivotal these elections are for us—and for our children’s future.”
A Defining Test for Democracy
These early ballot discrepancies and warnings of systemic manipulation cast a long shadow over the credibility of the upcoming elections. GECOM’s response to the sorting errors, and the transparency of its corrective actions, will be key to restoring public trust.
With Election Day looming, the stakes have never been higher. The vote on September 1 is no longer just about choosing leaders—it is shaping up to be a referendum on the future of Guyana’s democracy.
