GECOM Paralysis and Authority Questions Raised by Commissioner Alexander

According to Kaieteur News, Vincent Alexander, a commissioner of the electoral body, questioned the authority of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh, to engage with foreign diplomats regarding electoral matters while the commission itself has been unable to conduct its constitutional duties. In a letter to the editor dated November 7, 2026, Alexander characterized GECOM as a "comatose" institution and expressed doubts about the legitimacy and purpose of a meeting held last Thursday between Singh, Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, and the heads of missions from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and the European Union.

The meeting, which involved the respective ambassadors and high commissioners, focused on Guyana's electoral process, recommendations from observer missions following the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, electoral reforms, and preparations for the upcoming Local Government Elections. Attendees included High Commissioner Joe Fisher of the UK, Canadian HC Deborah Gomes-Schultz, GECOM Chairman Justice Claudette Singh, GECOM CEO Vishnu Persaud, European Union Ambassador Luca Pierantoni, US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, and French Ambassador Olivier Plançon.

However, Alexander contended that the engagement was questionable because the Commission has not convened a meeting since September 17, 2025, a situation he attributed to the Chairperson's refusal to hold meetings due to a dispute concerning the status of commissioners appointed by the opposition. He questioned the authority Justice Singh possessed to discuss matters on behalf of a Commission that he argued had been rendered non-functional by her decision to cease operations unilaterally and unlawfully as of September 2025.

Alexander further questioned who the chairperson was representing, asserting that electoral issues within the commission's scope should not be discussed externally without a unified position established by its members. He also disputed Singh's ongoing assertion that GECOM could not operate until the issue of the opposition commissioners' status was resolved. Alexander noted that the chairperson had previously stated she was guided by Article 161(3)(b) of the Constitution and that the commission's composition would be decided when parliament convened.

Alexander also questioned the foreign diplomats' decision to meet with the chairperson under those conditions, arguing that their role was to engage legitimate state institutions and representatives in diplomatic relations. He warned that the ongoing paralysis of GECOM was having significant consequences for the administration of elections and the functioning of the nation's electoral system.

Among the consequences Alexander identified were the submission of a budget that he claimed did not reflect the collective stance of the Commission, the constitutional body responsible for managing GECOM's affairs and determining its budgetary estimates for parliamentary approval. He also pointed to the failure to conduct a thorough evaluation of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, as well as delays in implementing voting arrangements for prisoners, party election officials, and offshore workers. Alexander also highlighted the lack of progress on additional biometric measures, such as digital fingerprint identification, and the failure to implement recommendations from international observer missions that GECOM and major stakeholders had accepted.

He also identified the potential disruption of constitutionally mandated Local Government Elections, the failure to finalize GECOM's administrative, financial, and human resource management manuals, and the failure to fill several crucial vacancies, including those for Chief Accountant, Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Deputy Chief Elections Officer, and IT Manager. The commissioner also raised concerns regarding the chairperson's alleged avoidance of court appearances related to ongoing cases involving elections officials.

These latest concerns arise amid increasing international apprehension regarding the protracted impasse at GECOM. United States Ambassador Nicole Theriot had previously cautioned that the Commission's inability to operate could impede the holding of regional and local elections, which she stated was detrimental to democracy. Furthermore, the Carter Center had voiced concern in August 2026 that the unresolved dispute over GECOM's composition could undermine preparations for Local Government Elections, delay electoral reforms, and prevent the Commission from adequately reflecting the country's current political makeup.

Meanwhile, Alexander called for immediate attention to the crisis, criticizing what he described as the silence and acquiescence from those in positions of authority, including members of the diplomatic community.

Justice Singh had previously invited the Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed, to nominate his representatives to the commission to replace Alexander, Trotman, and Corbin. Mohamed subsequently submitted names, including Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and attorneys Damien Dasilva and Siand Dhurjon, which were sent to the President for appointment. However, the President has not responded, and the current opposition commissioners have declined to vacate their seats. Chairman of the APNU, Aubrey Norton, has also opposed Mohamed's effort to replace the commissioners.

Mohamed has stated previously that he believes the constitution implies that the seats of the three opposition-advised members of GECOM have become vacant by law because their terms concluded amid a new principal opposition and a different parliamentary configuration. Mohamed asserted that when the governing political parties changed after the 2015 and 2020 elections, the previously opposition-appointed commissioners did not continue to represent the interests of the newly elected opposition but instead effectively represented only the interests of the government of that time as if they were government-appointed commissioners. He noted that this situation was only acceptable under the then-prevailing two-party politics, which he stated is no longer the case as Guyana now has a more diverse political landscape reflecting the nuanced political views of the Guyanese people.

Mohamed further asserted that the appointments of the former commissioners—Charles Corbin, Desmond Trotman, and Vincent Alexander—were advised by the previous opposition leader from a different political party and do not reflect the current opposition's parliamentary configuration. According to the opposition leader, the established track record of these individuals has significantly reduced public confidence in them, which reinforces his view that his office would not support any attempt to re-appoint them as commissioners.