Georgetown, Guyana – September 5, 2025 – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has dramatically escalated its post-election fight, demanding a forensic audit of ballots cast in the September 1 polls, warning that the results do not reflect the will of the Guyanese people. In a letter dated September 4 to GECOM Chair Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, APNU Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton argued that widespread irregularities and breaches of the Representation of the People Act make it impossible to declare credible results.
The party accused presiding officers of failing to sign Statements of Poll, leaving forms incomplete, and refusing to provide polling agents with accurate copies after ballots were counted. APNU also charged that during recounts, GECOM officials adopted “biased positions”, rejecting ballots for APNU while accepting questionable ones for the PPP/C, and failed to announce official stamps or six-digit serial numbers on ballot papers. The party further alleged ballot box tampering, naming several containers where seals were missing or appeared broken.
Norton insisted that these actions amount to a deliberate abrogation of the people’s will, and called on GECOM to halt any final declaration until a forensic audit is conducted. If not, APNU said, new elections must be ordered. The letter was copied to the US, UK, Canada, the EU, CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the Carter Center, and the OAS, signaling APNU’s push for international intervention.
APNU’s demand comes as other opposition forces raise their own alarms. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party, led by Azruddin Mohamed, has alleged widespread fraud, including missing SOPs, cash-for-votes schemes, ballot box tampering, and the inclusion of ineligible foreign voters. Mohamed argued it was “numerically and politically impossible” for the PPP/C to have won Region Four, a traditional opposition stronghold, and said intimidation by PPP tents outside polling stations kept many WIN supporters from voting. WIN has also challenged the validity of ballots where “X” marks were placed outside the designated boxes but were still counted.
The Forward Guyana Movement has joined the chorus, demanding an investigation into video footage showing ballot boxes being removed from containers with missing seals. The group accused GECOM of “gaslighting” the public by condemning the filming of the boxes instead of addressing what was seen on video, calling the Commission’s response an insult to the intelligence of voters.
International observers have highlighted weaknesses but stopped short of declaring the elections fraudulent. The European Union Election Observation Mission praised election day as peaceful and orderly but confirmed that the PPP/C enjoyed an undue advantage of incumbency. The EU cited blurred lines between state and party, the commissioning of public projects in the middle of the campaign, the misuse of state resources, and the absence of effective campaign finance laws. These findings, APNU argued, validate its call for an audit.
But GECOM and the Guyana Police Force have pushed back firmly. GECOM blasted the unauthorized filming inside the recount hall as a breach of protocol, saying it risks spreading misinformation. The Police Force condemned what it described as reckless social media commentary designed to stir unrest, warning that anyone attempting to incite panic will face swift action.
For now, the PPP/C is celebrating its biggest-ever victory, including a historic win in Region Four, while the opposition is fractured between APNU, WIN, and Forward Guyana, each raising questions about credibility but from different angles. What unites them is a shared claim that the process was flawed, whether by bias, intimidation, or outright tampering.
With GECOM communicating almost entirely through press releases, holding just one press conference since September 1, the silence from officials has only deepened suspicion. Calls to the opposition-appointed GECOM commissioner have gone unanswered, and APNU executive Ganesh Mahipaul has said he cannot comment on the controversy.
What remains is a crisis of confidence. While GECOM insists the recount is transparent and orderly, the opposition warns that ignoring evidence of irregularities risks silencing voters and undermining democracy. As APNU put it in its letter: unless a forensic audit is conducted, Guyana may be left with results that its people cannot trust.
