Guyana’s democracy is once again at a dangerous crossroads. For too long, the integrity of our elections has been overshadowed by one glaring problem: a bloated and unconstitutional voters’ list. Unless this issue is addressed, our nation will continue to be plagued with distrust, controversy, and the erosion of faith in the very system that is supposed to protect the will of the people.
At the heart of the problem lies a simple but critical fact — our Constitution draws a clear distinction between who can vote in General Elections and who can vote in Regional/Local Government Elections. Yet, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues to operate as if these categories do not exist, keeping one combined list that includes both Guyanese citizens and Commonwealth citizens.
The Constitution could not be clearer. Article 59 states that only citizens of Guyana are entitled to vote in General Elections. Article 159 further reinforces this by saying that Commonwealth citizens who have been resident in Guyana for at least a year may only vote in Regional/Local Government Elections. And Article 159(3) puts the matter beyond doubt: “No person shall vote at an election of members of the National Assembly unless he is a citizen of Guyana.”
This means there are two groups of voters:
- Guyanese citizens – eligible to vote in both General and Local Elections.
- Commonwealth citizens – eligible to vote in Regional/Local Elections only.
But GECOM has failed to reflect this constitutional distinction. By maintaining one consolidated voters’ list, Commonwealth citizens are mixed with Guyanese citizens, creating the very real risk that ineligible persons may be allowed to vote in General Elections. That is unconstitutional, unlawful, and deeply dangerous for our democracy.
The consequences of such negligence are enormous. It opens the door to electoral confusion, fraud, and results that may not reflect the true will of the Guyanese people. Worse yet, it undermines the supremacy of our Constitution — the highest law of the land.
The solution is straightforward: GECOM must create two distinct registers of electors — one for Guyanese citizens, valid for both General and Regional/ Local Elections, and one for Commonwealth citizens, valid for Regional/ Local Elections only. This simple administrative change will close the door to fraud, strengthen the credibility of our elections, and restore confidence in our democratic process.
As a people, we must stop treating elections as a battlefield where mistrust and manipulation thrive. Democracy only works when it is anchored in law and fairness. If our voters’ list is unconstitutional, then every election built on it is compromised.
It is time for citizens to demand that GECOM fix the problem. We cannot afford to wait for another cycle of controversy, accusations, and division. The integrity of our elections is the integrity of our nation itself. Soon we will have Commonwealth citizens making the decisions for the Guyanese citizens where Commonwealth citizens will be more populating than Guyanese citizens in our own country.
Guyana deserves free and fair elections. And free and fair elections begin with a lawful, accurate, and transparent voters’
