Seven of the 21 approved political parties in Guyana have formally submitted their nominations to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to contest the upcoming general and regional elections scheduled for September 1, 2025.
The nominations were filed on Monday during a day-long process at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown. GECOM had initially approved 21 party symbols on June 23, but only seven parties turned in lists of candidates and nominators by the nomination deadline.
The parties that submitted their documents are:
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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)
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People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)
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Alliance For Change (AFC)
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We Invest in Nationhood
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Forward Guyana Movement
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Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity
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Horizon and Star
GECOM Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud said the lists would now undergo electronic scrutiny to ensure they meet all statutory requirements. “We are now required to process these lists to ensure that they meet the statutory requirements… If they don’t, they will be given an opportunity to remedy the defects, and once those are remedied, then they will go forward to be approved to contest the elections,” he explained.
The Commission, which comprises seven members, is expected to meet on Friday to sign off on the final list of approved parties.
Once the nominations are cleared, GECOM will proceed to design and print the ballots and other election materials. This task will be undertaken in Canada by Canadian Bank Note, Persaud confirmed.
In terms of logistics, Persaud said there would be 2,785 polling stations across the country. Each station will serve a maximum of 400 voters, although that number could vary based on the population size of individual communities.
Members of the police, military, fire service, and prison service will vote 10 days prior to the general population, as is customary.
Looking ahead to election night, Persaud expressed confidence that the Commission could declare the results by September 2, barring any recounts. He also reminded the public that results will be posted on GECOM’s website, in keeping with new legal requirements for transparency.
GECOM Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh said she is satisfied with the commission’s preparations for the elections, which will determine the next president, members of the 65-seat National Assembly, and 10 regional councils.
“As far as I am concerned and from what I know, the Secretariat is working very hard and we have been looking at a lot of many matters and we are putting things in place,” she said.
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