Georgetown, Guyana – August 29, 2025 – The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has firmly rejected media reports claiming that members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) could be drafted to serve as presiding officers during the September 1 General and Regional Elections, calling the suggestion “false, misleading, and irresponsible.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Commission stressed that there is no legal or operational framework that allows military personnel to perform presiding officer duties. “Presiding Officers are civilian functionaries appointed through a public recruitment process. Each officer undergoes mandatory training in line with the Representation of the People Act and established GECOM protocols,” the Commission said.
The clarification comes after earlier remarks from Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander raised the alarm over a shortage of presiding officers. In that interview, Alexander cautioned that gaps in recruitment could force consideration of alternatives, including, hypothetically, the GDF, a warning that immediately triggered public concern about the credibility of the electoral process.
But GECOM on Wednesday insisted the matter is under control. While some individuals had declined to serve as presiding officers, the Commission explained that those persons were reassigned to lower positions where they felt comfortable. Recruitment efforts, GECOM said, have ensured that “all required positions will be filled by trained and vetted civilians.”
The Commission also cautioned against what it called reckless reporting at a critical time. “Any suggestion that military personnel would be deployed in electoral roles is not only inaccurate, but also misleading and irresponsible, especially at a time when public confidence and calm are critical,” the statement read.
This is not the first time GECOM has had to defend its recruitment process. As recently as last week, credible reports noted that the Commission missed statutory deadlines for gazetting polling stations and opening proxy applications, fueling questions about its overall readiness. With just days to go before the polls, the presiding officer issue has become another flashpoint in an already tense pre-election environment.
GECOM has urged media outlets and political actors to verify information before publication, warning that speculation could undermine public trust in the vote. The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a “credible, peaceful, and lawfully administered election” on September 1.
