The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) cannot fully proceed with several key aspects of its work until the parliamentary opposition submits nominees to fill the opposition-appointed seats on the commission, Chairperson Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh has said.
In comments to Kaieteur News, Justice Singh said the commission is awaiting nominees from the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) movement led by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed before moving ahead with matters requiring a properly constituted commission.
According to the GECOM Chair, Mohamed was informed during a meeting earlier this year that he would need to submit names for commissioners to represent the current parliamentary opposition, but those nominations have not yet been received.
Justice Singh said the delay is affecting several important matters before the commission, including preparations for Local Government Elections and the filling of key vacancies within the electoral body.
“We’re waiting on him,” Singh was quoted as saying, noting that Mohamed had indicated he already had persons in mind for the positions but had not formally submitted their names to GECOM.
The Chairperson said she has been careful not to take actions that could be viewed as excluding the current opposition from decisions affecting the commission, suggesting that major decisions requiring commission approval will remain on hold until the issue is resolved.
The situation arises from an unprecedented political configuration following the 2025 General and Regional Elections. For the first time in Guyana’s post-Independence history, the country’s two dominant political forces—the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)—do not occupy the traditional roles of government and main parliamentary opposition.
Instead, the opposition benches in the 13th Parliament are led by WIN, which secured 16 of the 29 seats allocated to opposition parties, making it the largest opposition bloc and elevating Mohamed to the constitutional office of Leader of the Opposition. The PNCR-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which previously held that position, now holds 12 opposition seats.
The historic shift has triggered debate over the composition of GECOM. The commission’s three opposition-appointed commissioners—Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman—were nominated by the PNC or partnership/coalition the PNCR was part of.
After assuming office, Mohamed argued that GECOM’s opposition representation should reflect the new parliamentary reality and called on the three commissioners to resign. However, the commissioners rejected the request, maintaining that their appointments are constitutional in nature and cannot be terminated simply because of a change in Opposition leadership.
Earlier this year, Alexander, Corbin and Trotman said their status was a matter of law rather than political negotiation and declined Mohamed’s invitation to discuss their resignation. They argued that neither the Constitution nor electoral laws provide for commissioners to vacate office solely because a new Opposition Leader has assumed office.
Alexander has also raised concerns about the lack of commission meetings, noting previously that GECOM had not convened since September 2025. He contended that the absence of meetings has delayed consideration of several important operational matters, including the filling of senior vacancies within the secretariat.
Among the positions still vacant are Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Legal Officer, Information Technology Manager, Research Officer and Chief Accountant. Alexander has said these posts are critical to the effective functioning of the elections body and preparations for future polls.
Local Government Elections were last held in June 2023. While administrative work continues within the GECOM Secretariat, uncertainty remains over when the commission will resume full decision-making, as Justice Singh’s decision to await nominations from the current Opposition Leader places the spotlight on a constitutional and political situation without modern precedent in Guyana’s electoral history.
