By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
ELECTIONS WERE NEITHER FREE NOR FAIR, WITTER SAYS POLICYMAKERS MUST ADDRESS IRREGULARITIES
Norris Witter, President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress, said that those who occupy the helm of governance must not overlook the irregularities which were unearthed during the recently concluded 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Witter posited that these elections were neither “free nor fair”.
He reminded all elected and appointed officials are servants of the people and must represent a true democracy.
In an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Witter said that the GTUC cannot ignore the numerous anomalies observed during the electoral process.
“There were a number of persons on the list who were Commonwealth citizens. Persons primarily from India,” he related.
According to Mr. Witter, anomalies like Commonwealth citizens who cast ballots despite not meeting the naturalisation requirement tainted this year’s election results.
He said there’s no way the delivery of these elections was “free and fair”.
The Union official mentioned that the GTUC had discussed these irregularities with the Guyana Elections Commission, but sadly, the problems remained unresolved even on election day.
“We met with GECOM to discuss those concerns that we had…None of our fears were addressed by the Chairman or the CEO and all those fears that we had expressed at the press conference and to GECOM have all been validated to this present”, The GTU President flagged.
The Veteran Trade Unionist stated that lawmakers need to address this electoral conundrum now.
The president of the GTUC urged all members of the incoming National Assembly to use their constitutional right to introduce legislation that updates the voters list and adds biometrics to prevent fraud.
“For some of the changes to be effective, it will require…the will of whichever government or party to put forward that legislation”.
Mr. Witter argued that his demands are a democratic necessity rather than a partisan one.
He flagged that the current 7-member composition of GECOM, which depended on the expired Carter Formula during the 1992 elections, should no longer be applicable going forward.
Witter believed that the electoral body must and should be composed of civil society groups which are apolitical.
