Georgetown, Guyana – August 29, 2025 – The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party is demanding that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) immediately approve its polling agents across all 10 regions, warning that to do otherwise would strip the September 1 elections of credibility.
In a blistering statement, WIN said GECOM’s deadline for the submission of agents was itself flawed. According to the party, the official notice did not include the email contact information for Returning Officers, leaving parties in the dark about where to send their submissions. WIN said it only received the contact details on Tuesday, August 26, one day after the deadline had already passed. The party confirmed that it began submissions immediately that day and concluded all submissions by Wednesday.
WIN accused the Commission of hypocrisy, arguing that while it penalizes parties for missing deadlines, GECOM has itself repeatedly failed to meet its statutory and constitutional obligations. Citing credible reports, WIN pointed to the late opening of proxy applications, the delayed gazetting of polling stations, which by law should have been published 20 days before elections and the Commission’s slow pace in issuing polling notices.
“The issue is not about deadlines. The issue is about defending democracy,” the party declared. “GECOM cannot demand perfection from political parties while failing to uphold its own responsibilities.”
The party warned that blocking polling agents would fatally undermine transparency. “No agents mean no eyes, no witnesses, no credibility,” the statement said. “To deny our agents is to create a dangerous hole wide enough for dishonesty and fraud to creep in. If GECOM bars our agents, the outcome of the election cannot be trusted.”
WIN argued that the matter goes beyond its own campaign, framing the dispute as a national issue affecting every Guyanese voter. “Every voter, regardless of political choice, deserves an election process that is credible, reliable, transparent, and accountable,” the party stressed.
Calling for international scrutiny, WIN urged observers from CARICOM, the Carter Center, the Commonwealth, the OAS, and other partners to “monitor these developments closely.” The party insisted that “the world must know that the credibility of Guyana’s elections is now under serious question.”
The showdown adds another layer of pressure on GECOM, which has already faced criticism from both local and international bodies for failing to implement long-promised reforms. With just days to go before ballots are cast, the Commission’s handling of this latest dispute could shape confidence in the entire electoral process.
