GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has denounced the early publication of Statements of Poll (SoPs) by the Team Mohameds Facebook page, describing it as a “despicable act” intended to mislead the public about the outcome of the polls.
In a sharply worded statement, Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud questioned the legitimacy of the posted documents, stating that it was “impossible for the counting of ballots at any polling station to have commenced at that time.”
“This despicable act can only be seen as creating a platform on which the political party associated with the Facebook page can create the impression that it has been successful at the polls,” Persaud asserted.
He further linked the post to Team Mohameds, a social media platform associated with the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party.
WIN, however, has been publicly releasing SoPs as they are received at the party’s headquarters—a strategy mirroring what the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) employed during the controversial 2020 elections. At that time, the PPP also released SoPs ahead of GECOM’s official announcements, a move that was not condemned in the same manner.
GECOM’s current objection to WIN’s publication of poll data has raised eyebrows among political observers, especially in light of that precedent. Critics argue that GECOM appears selective in enforcing its protocols, depending on which party benefits from early disclosures.
As of publication time, WIN had not issued a formal response to the CEO’s remarks. However, party insiders suggest they intend to continue releasing SoPs in the name of transparency.
One insider told Village Voice News, “GECOM will not be allowed to manipulate the voters’ statistics because GECOM cannot be trusted.”
