Norton Calls on GECOM to Halt Declaration of Election Results, Demands Forensic Audit

Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, has formally written to Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh, urging her not to declare the results of the September 1 General and Regional Elections, citing what he describes as widespread electoral violations and a compromised process.

In a detailed letter also shared with the diplomatic corps and international observer missions—including representatives from the European Union, CARICOM, OAS, the Carter Center, and the US, UK, and Canadian embassies—Norton called for either a forensic audit of the electoral data or a complete annulment of the elections, with fresh polls to be held.

“Ultimately, APNU requests that you intervene immediately to direct the Commission not to declare the election results before the completion of a forensic audit of electoral data… or order that fresh elections are now due, in light of the circumstances,” Norton wrote.

The demand comes amid preparations by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) for the second inauguration of President Irfaan Ali, expected to take place Sunday. The PPP/C reportedly secured a clear lead with 36 or 37 seats in the 65-seat National Assembly, after garnering 242,498 votes, followed by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) with 109,066 votes and APNU with 77,928 votes. Smaller parties such as the Forward Guyana Movement, Alliance For Change, and Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity trailed with fewer than 5,000 votes each.

Norton’s objections are centered on what he describes as “egregious violations” of both the Guyana Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. He referenced the European Union Election Observation Mission’s preliminary findings, which criticized the abuse of incumbency by the PPP/C, a politicised media environment, and state resources being used to promote the ruling party’s campaign.

“Our demand that the electoral process be wholly aborted is advanced in light of the Report of the European Union Observer Mission, now in public circulation,” Norton stated, claiming the report supports APNU’s position that the elections were neither free nor fair.

He further alleged that GECOM officials failed in their duties, leading to what he described as collusion, conspiracy, and a deliberate suppression of the electorate’s will. Norton cited multiple cases of unsigned Statements of Poll (SoPs), SoPs not being provided to polling agents, and instances where Presiding Officers allegedly failed to complete required documentation.

Ballot boxes such as #40711, 40728, 40792, 41003, and 41005 were mentioned as examples of unsigned SoPs, while others—#40736, 40835, 40857, 40949, 41048, 40910—reportedly lacked proper distribution of SoPs to party agents. Several boxes, including #40694, 40697, 40951, and 414037, allegedly had incomplete documentation.

These irregularities, Norton said, were flagged during the September 2 tabulation process in Regions 4 and 5, in the presence of local and international observers. Recounts requested on this basis, he argued, only revealed further problems.

Among these, Norton claimed that GECOM officials applied inconsistent standards when determining the validity of ballots—accepting questionable PPP/C votes while rejecting those for APNU. He also accused GECOM of failing to verify official ballot stamps and serial numbers, casting doubt on the authenticity of certain votes.

He also cited reports of tampering with several ballot boxes, including EC80004, EC80009, EC80013, EC80022, and EC80019, further questioning the integrity of the process.

In concluding his appeal, Norton painted a picture of eroded public confidence, stating that Guyanese voters are increasingly disillusioned with the electoral process and institutions tasked with safeguarding democracy.

GECOM has not yet publicly responded to Norton’s letter, and efforts to confirm whether the commission plans to proceed with the official declaration remain ongoing.