Members of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party on Thursday met with senior officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to discuss the ongoing voter registration process and to gain clarity on the commission’s operations and the role of political parties in the electoral system.
WIN Parliamentarian Natasha Singh told Village Voice News that the delegation included WIN Leader and Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed, fellow parliamentarian Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, and Duarte Hetsberger. The group met with Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, and Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud.
According to Singh, the meeting was cordial and focused on several key electoral matters, including concerns about what has been described as a bloated voters’ list, the possible use of biometrics in elections, and the role of opposition-nominated commissioners on the seven-member elections commission.
The WIN representatives also sought clarification on how the Representation of the People Act applies to parliamentary parties, and how WIN fits into the structure of GECOM as the largest opposition party. WIN secured 16 seats in the 65-member National Assembly after contesting the General and Regional Elections for the first time in September 2025, having been formed just two months earlier, in July.
Singh said the GECOM Chairperson advised that she does not have the authority to pronounce on the appointment of commissioners, noting that under the Constitution this responsibility rests solely with the President.
Singh said that, contrary to claims circulating in sections of the media and wider society, the meeting addressed several issues beyond the matter of commissioners, including the possible use of biometrics and concerns about a bloated voters’ list.
Singh further said GECOM officials provided guidance on the role and functions of political parties within the electoral process, including the use of scrutineers. WIN did not have scrutineers during the 2025 elections, as the party was newly established at the time.
She advised the WIN leader that the present opposition do not represent WIN’s interest and he would write to them, thanking them for their service to the nation and ask that they vacate the position. The opposition-nominated commissioners are Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin, and Desmond Trotman.
Those commissioners were originally nominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the former governing coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC). Following the 2020 and 2025 elections APNU, led by the PNCR, moved into opposition. In the current 13th Parliament, APNU holds 12 seats, while the Forward Guyana Movement holds one, accounting for 13 of the 29 opposition seats declared by GECOM.
