By: Javone Vickerie.
Georgetown, Guyana – August 28, 2025 – The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has intensified its push for changes to polling stations just days before Guyanese head to the polls, demanding adjustments it says are essential to prevent disenfranchisement.
But the late-stage request has already triggered a walkout by opposition-appointed Commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), deepening tensions over election preparations. In a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud, PPP Election Agent Zulfikar Mustapha reiterated the party’s appeal for adjustments to several designated polling places.
He argued that unless the changes are granted, some voters will be forced to travel long distances, face severe overcrowding, and risk “potential denial of their right to vote.” The PPP maintains that its demands are rooted in Section 6(6) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), which requires electors to cast ballots in their own village or locality. Mustapha described the current arrangements as “a clear breach” of the law, noting that in some areas, electors have been assigned to stations outside their communities.
The party also reminded GECOM that these requests were not new. According to the letter, GECOM officials had previously accompanied PPP candidates to verify the proposed changes in the field, and at the time “expressed their agreement when the relevant facts were presented.” Some recommendations were rejected, which the PPP accepted “in a spirit of compromise,” but Mustapha stressed that the final set of requests must be approved.
“There is no reasonable or practical alternative,” the letter insisted, while reminding GECOM of its “exceptional powers” under the Constitution and ROPA to take all necessary steps to ensure fairness and compliance with the law. However, the request sparked open revolt inside the Commission.
Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioners staged a dramatic walkout from a meeting earlier today, refusing to entertain what they described as last-minute changes. Sources confirmed that the dispute centered on the PPP’s bid to expand polling stations in key constituencies.
The opposition’s position rests on the legal framework itself. Under ROPA, polling stations must be finalized and published at least 21 days before Election Day, a deadline already passed on August 11. Opposition Commissioners argue that attempting to alter polling stations after that statutory cutoff risks confusing voters who may have already confirmed their assigned locations.
A source close to the Commission told Nightly News, “Once the polling stations are published, the public relies on that information. If someone checked weeks ago and saw where they should vote, they might not check again. A sudden change could mean turning up at the wrong location on Election Day.”
Despite that, the PPP continues to frame the issue as one of basic access and fairness. “These elections must reflect convenience, comfort, and access for electors,” Mustapha wrote, pressing for urgent reconsideration just days before the vote.
The standoff has fueled fears of a repeat of past controversies, particularly along the East Coast corridor where, in 2020, dozens of ballot boxes from PPP strongholds were flagged for missing statutory documents. With polling stations again at the center of dispute, political observers warn that Guyana’s elections are entering a perilous stage, where even logistical decisions could determine the credibility of the outcome.
