Easing controversy: GECOM approves modified nomination for

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved the use of a modified version of the Nomination Form, which must be submitted along with the Lists of Candidates for political parties contesting the General and Regional Elections.
The modified Nomination Form now carries the following text at the top: “We, the undersigned, knowingly and willingly provide our particulars and append our signatures as Nominators for the National Top-up/Geographic Constituency/Regional Democratic List of Candidates for the Party.”

A statement from the Elections Commission on Thursday said that the modified version was proposed by its Chief Election Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud, and is intended to ensure greater accuracy and prevent misuse.
The Nomination Forms are used to record the particulars of the nominators submitting the Lists of Candidates for the National Top-up List, the Geographic Constituency List, and the Regional Democratic Council List.
It was noted that the CEO’s proposal stemmed from numerous reports, following Nomination Day for the 2023 Local Government Elections, in which individuals claimed either that they had not signed as nominators or were unaware that they had done so.
This issue generated significant public controversy and delayed the timely processing of the Lists of Candidates.

In response, GECOM has urged all potential contestants to use the modified version of the form to accurately document the particulars and signatures of their nominators for their respective Lists of Candidates.
“This is of crucial importance to avoid doubt and to ensure the timely processing of the Lists of Candidates within the short statutory window available for examination and correction,” the agency stated.
GECOM’s updated forms are available on its website in the General and Regional Elections 2025 Resource Hub at: https://www.gecom.org.gy/public/home/resource_hub
Alternatively, hard copies can be obtained from the Office of the Chief Election Officer or the Office of the Public Relations Officer.