Georgetown, Guyana — With just weeks to go before Nomination Day, the body responsible for overseeing Guyana’s national elections is once again grappling with internal divisions that threaten to derail its planning process.
Commissioner Sase Gunraj of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is voicing deep frustration over what he describes as “clear sabotage” following a second consecutive walkout by opposition-nominated commissioners that left Tuesday’s statutory meeting without quorum.
“I can’t describe this as anything but sabotage,” Gunraj said in a social media post following the aborted meeting. “It’s now clear there are deliberate attempts to frustrate the process.
”The disruption echoes last week’s meeting, which was also cut short when opposition-nominated commissioners—Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman, and Charles Corbin—walked out, preventing the legal quorum necessary to proceed.
Tuesday’s meeting initially showed promise. Gunraj, along with fellow government-nominated commissioners Clement Rohee and Manoj Narayan, were present. Two opposition commissioners—Trotman and Alexander—also attended. But just minutes after the meeting was called to order, Trotman reportedly exited the room, allegedly in protest over the meeting’s agenda. With only one opposition commissioner remaining, the meeting was again rendered inquorate and adjourned.
Speaking to reporters outside the GECOM headquarters, Gunraj said the repeated walkouts are more than political posturing—they’re a direct threat to the Commission’s ability to conduct fair and timely elections.
“These meetings aren’t optional,” he said. “We’re on a tight timeline. Every item on the agenda matters.
”The upcoming elections are set for September 1, with Nomination Day scheduled for July 14. GECOM has already released a detailed election timeline, and preparations are underway on multiple fronts. Gunraj maintains that the commission’s schedule is both realistic and achievable—if disruptions can be minimized.
To that end, he revealed that GECOM is invoking a constitutional provision that allows meetings to proceed with a revised quorum: the Chairperson and any three commissioners, regardless of political affiliation.
This fallback mechanism was put in place following last week’s breakdown and may be used again should opposition commissioners continue to walk out.For now, Guyana’s electoral machinery remains in motion—but the road ahead is rocky.
As political tensions spill into the heart of the electoral commission, citizens are left hoping that cooler heads will prevail in time to ensure a credible and orderly election.
