Forward Guyana Movement Files Court Action Against GECOM Over Ballot Exclusion
By Antonio Dey |HGP Nightly News.
On Tuesday, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) filed a constitutional court application challenging the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over the removal of approved candidates from the ballots in several regions.
FGM’s founder and presidential candidate, Amanza Walton-Desir, said the legal action seeks constitutional relief under Part 56 of the Civil Procedure Rules. She argued that GECOM’s exclusionary ballot practices violate Articles 59, 149, and 160 of the Constitution, along with provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
According to Walton-Desir, both the Forward Guyana Movement and the Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) have been excluded from ballots in Regions 7, 8, and 9. She further revealed that candidates contesting in Regions 1 and 2 on the ALP list were also excluded, despite meeting all legal requirements.
“This action is distressing and a grave violation of the democratic rights of citizens. Electors in these regions are denied the opportunity to vote for duly approved candidates,” Walton-Desir told reporters. She emphasized that many of the affected regions are predominantly Indigenous communities, warning that such exclusion amounts to discrimination on the grounds of race and place of origin.
She added that GECOM’s practices distort proportional representation by artificially reducing the national vote count available to excluded parties, which in turn impacts the allocation of seats in the National Assembly.
This newscast was also informed that Crystal Hadassa Officer, a registered voter in Region 9 and national list candidate, described GECOM’s ballot design as unconstitutional, unfair, and dismissive of Indigenous and rural communities.
In addition, attorney Dr. Vivian Williams has filed an application urging the court to:
- Declare elections without full party inclusion null and void,
- Restrain GECOM from excluding qualified parties, and
- Direct the Commission to include the Forward Guyana Movement in Regions 7, 8, and 9, thereby ensuring that voters across Regions 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 can fully participate in the upcoming elections.
