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Georgetown, Guyana — The Alliance For Change (AFC) has taken the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to task over what it calls repeated failures in the administration of electoral matters, with the latest revelation involving Dr. Asha Kissoon’s unlawful occupation of a seat in the National Assembly. AFC Leader Nigel Hughes, during the party’s press conference on November 29, 2024, lambasted GECOM for its negligence and called for the immediate resignation of its leadership, declaring the Commission unfit to oversee credible elections.
Hughes condemned GECOM’s admission that Dr. Kissoon, who has participated in parliamentary debates, voted on legislation, and engaged in other National Assembly business, should not have held her seat due to procedural errors. GECOM has since accepted full responsibility for the mistake, which Hughes said undermines both the integrity of the National Assembly and public confidence in Guyana’s electoral processes.
“This kind of conduct, this complete and absolute negligence, this reckless disregard for the laws of this country…leads no one in this country to believe that under its present leadership, [GECOM] is capable of delivering anything looking like a credible election,” Hughes charged.
He described the situation as a national embarrassment, especially within the Caribbean, and warned that with Guyana approaching what he described as “one of the most important elections in the history of this country,” GECOM’s incompetence poses a grave risk to democracy.
GECOM’s Admission and Continued Uncertainty
At its November 22 press conference, GECOM acknowledged the issue of Dr. Kissoon’s appointment is under review. Kurt DaSilva, the Commission’s legal advisor, explained that the Representation of the People Act governs the allocation of seats among parties on a joinder list and admitted that an error in this process occurred.
“The list that the name needed to come from was the LJP [Liberty and Justice Party] list,” DaSilva clarified, highlighting that Dr. Kissoon’s party, The New Movement (TNM), should not have retained the seat.
Despite this acknowledgment, GECOM has yet to take decisive action, with Deputy Chief Elections Officer Aneal Giddings stating that the matter remains on the Commission’s agenda. He added that any resolution would require careful deliberation to determine whether GECOM should intervene directly or wait for the Speaker of the National Assembly to act.
When pressed on the possibility of revoking Dr. Kissoon’s certificate of appointment, Giddings described such questions as premature but acknowledged the matter is “under active discussion.”
AFC’s Strong Rebuke
Hughes, however, dismissed GECOM’s explanations as insufficient and accused its leadership of gross negligence. He questioned how GECOM, tasked with ensuring the proper administration of elections, could have allowed such an egregious error to persist for over a year.
“Who knows what else they will discover after four years?” Hughes asked. “This gross negligence…leaves no one in this country with any confidence that GECOM is capable of interpreting the laws or administering elections in a manner that ensures credibility and fairness.”
Hughes called on GECOM’s leadership to resign, arguing that its continued mismanagement erodes trust in the electoral system and risks undermining the nation’s democratic foundation. He added that such failings cannot be tolerated, especially in the lead-up to pivotal elections.
