GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander has raised serious concerns about what he describes as the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) lack of progressiveness and failure to adapt its electoral operations to the realities of the country’s evolving workforce — particularly those employed in the offshore oil sector.
In a strongly worded letter, Alexander accused GECOM of being “not progressive or proactive in the administration of elections,” and went further to suggest that its actions may be “consciously retrogressive.”
Alexander pointed to the agency’s failure to make voting provisions for offshore oil rig workers, who he notes are stationed more than 200 miles offshore and face “a logistical and operations nightmare” when it comes to taking time off to vote. Currently, GECOM only advises that employers grant time off, but provides no alternative voting mechanisms — such as proxy or postal ballots — for this category of workers.
Alexander contrasted this with existing legal provisions for Transport and Harbours Department employees, who are allowed to vote by proxy, and for members of the Joint Services and non-resident Guyanese, who can vote via postal ballot. He argued that the circumstances of offshore workers are “more dire” than those of Transport and Harbours workers when those provisions were first introduced — and that their greater numbers warrant similar accommodations.
“A progressive GECOM could have simply initiated the amendment of the pertinent legislation for workers on the rigs… to be treated in like manner to the discipline services, or Transport and Harbour workers,” Alexander wrote. He acknowledged that GECOM maintains that it is not responsible for initiating legislation, but rejected this stance, stating: “This insistence flies in the face of GECOM’s constitutional responsibility and the legislative provision for GECOM to overcome difficulties.”
Alexander admitted his own delay in raising the issue more forcefully but stressed that the matter had been brought to GECOM’s attention before and that the agency “never addressed its mind to a solution, although solutions are within its reach.”
He also compared the current situation to that of incarcerated individuals, who remain disenfranchised — another issue he believes GECOM shows little concern for. At the same time, he criticised the Commission’s apparent prioritisation of ensuring that overseas Guyanese, including those possibly deceased or absent from the country on election day, are not voted for.
“The possible disenfranchisement of overseas Guyanese, who are listed, probably dead, or not in-country on E Day is of major concern, although they are known to have been voted for in 2020,” Alexander wrote. “The provision to ensure that they are not voted for does not threaten their entitlement.”
The letter adds to mounting public scrutiny of GECOM’s preparedness ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, with calls growing for institutional reforms, increased transparency, and more inclusive electoral arrangements.
