By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News.
With Nomination Day just days away, the Alliance For Change (AFC) is again calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to clarify the procedures for the submission of party lists urgently.
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes told reporters on Friday that the lack of clear guidance from GECOM has left political parties uncertain about what to expect on July 14, when nominations are scheduled to be submitted at the Umana Yana.
“We understand GECOM is likely to be at the location from midnight Sunday,” Hughes said, “but there are at least four parties already planning to camp out—APNU, AFC, ALP, and Forward Guyana.”
He stressed that every political party must be informed of the procedures at each stage of the electoral process to prevent confusion and disorder.
“If there’s no structured system,” Hughes warned, “it could become a free-for-all, just like what happened the last time. That’s a recipe for chaos.”
The AFC leader emphasized that with thousands of supporters expected to gather outside the Umana Yana, particularly with APNU and PPP/C contingents located nearby on Young and Main Streets, a lack of defined protocol could easily lead to confrontation.
He also questioned the role of law enforcement, noting that while police have erected barricades, these could be easily breached without explicit instructions from GECOM.
“GECOM owes this country, and the contesting parties, a published procedure,” Hughes said. “The public and competitors deserve to know exactly how the process will unfold.”
Citing a recent incident where the PPP/C claimed to be the second party to arrive at the venue when no others were visibly present, Hughes argued that ambiguity in the process only increases the potential for disputes.
“The ingredients for problems are already there,” he concluded. “And the last thing Guyana needs is any form of conflict related to elections.”
