In a stunning turnaround just days before Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party has scored a major victory against what it described as an attempted exclusion from the electoral process.
After raising alarm over the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) decision to reject its polling agents—allegedly for missing a submission deadline—WIN pushed back hard, warning that it would not accept the outcome of any election it could not properly monitor. The party also made an urgent appeal to international observers, demanding transparency and fairness.
Today, that pressure paid off. GECOM, following intervention from the international observer mission, reversed its decision and agreed to allow WIN’s polling agents to participate in Monday’s vote. The decision is being hailed by WIN as a triumph for democracy and a clear message that no party should be sidelined from a process meant to represent the will of the people.
Observers see it as a win for every Guyanese who believes in fair and transparent elections.
In a statement shared online, candidate Duarte Hetsberger, revealed that WIN had submitted its polling agent list on August 27 and 28, just after receiving GECOM’s communication on August 26—one day after the official deadline. Despite the narrow delay, GECOM had initially rejected the list.
“But what is at stake here is much bigger than a deadline,” Hetsberger emphasised. “GECOM itself has been late—and not by one or two days. They were late in opening proxy applications, late in gazetting polling stations, and in some cases, late in issuing notices of poll. How can GECOM demand perfection from political parties when they themselves repeatedly missed their own statutory deadlines.”
WIN’s stance gained widespread support from civil society groups who condemned GECOM’s initial position and called for urgent corrective action to preserve public trust in the electoral process.
Natasha Singh-Lewis, a senior WIN official and candidate, warned that barring polling agents would strip the election of credibility.
“We cannot and will not accept results from an election process that is hidden from scrutiny,” she declared. “This is not just about the WIN party. This is about the Guyanese people—every voter, WIN, another party, or no party at all—has a right to an election process that is credible, reliable, and transparent.”
Civic groups echoed this sentiment, noting that excluding any party from oversight could undermine the legitimacy of the election.
“It is critical that GECOM creates the opportunity for WIN to have its polling agents enrolled and participate fully on election day,” said one civil society representative. “Any attempt to block WIN’s agents would not only undermine the party but the very essence of our democratic process.”
With GECOM now relenting under mounting pressure and allowing WIN full access to polling stations, the party says it remains vigilant and determined to ensure a clean, transparent election. For WIN, this outcome is not just a procedural correction—it’s a symbolic breakthrough in the fight for fairness, inclusion, and accountability in Guyana’s democracy.
