Georgetown, Guyana – September 5, 2025 – The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has pushed back against calls by APNU Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton for a forensic audit and fresh elections, making it clear that such demands lie outside the Commission’s authority and fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the courts.
In a letter dated September 4 and addressed to GECOM Chair Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, Norton urged that the 2025 elections be annulled, citing alleged irregularities. He pressed for either a forensic audit or the complete restarting of the process.
But Singh’s reply, sent on September 5, firmly reminded Norton of the constitutional framework. “Article 163 of the Constitution of Guyana explicitly stipulates that the High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether an election was lawfully conducted or whether the result has been affected by any unlawful act or omission,” she wrote.
The Chair underscored that GECOM’s current priority is completing recounts in Sub-District 4 of District 4 and 77 ballot boxes in District 5—exercises requested by APNU itself. Those results, once certified by the Chief Election Officer (CEO), will then be presented to the Commission as mandated by law.
Singh stressed that any further dispute over the legitimacy of the elections must be pursued through an election petition to the High Court, not through pressure on GECOM. “The Commission is committed to conducting elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while adhering strictly to the laws of Guyana,” she said, urging patience as the recount process continues.
For now, the fate of Norton’s demands rests not with GECOM, but with the courts—making clear that Guyana’s heated electoral contest is moving from the political stage toward the legal battlefield.
