The chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, has told Aubrey Norton, leader of the PNC-led APNU, that any party aggrieved by the outcome of the elections will have the right to file an appeal with the High Court. This follows a request by Norton for the polls to be quashed and for the ongoing recount to be halted over questions he had about the elections.
“GECOM’s primary responsibility is to conduct elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while adhering strictly to the laws of Guyana,” Justice Singh said in a letter to Norton.
The GECOM Chair’s response to Norton
She said the Commission is committed to ensuring that the will of the people, as expressed through their votes, is accurately reflected in the final results. She further urged that all stakeholders allow the established legal and procedural mechanisms to run their course.
APNU had requested recounts in some areas of Regions Four and Five.
“Once the recounts are completed, and the CEO (Chief Elections Officer) presents the final results to the Commission, any parties aggrieved by the outcome will have the right to file an election petition to the High Court, in accordance with Article 163 of the Constitution.”
The GECOM Chair’s response to Norton
Norton has requested a forensic audit of the elections or a complete annulment of the current electoral process, followed by the holding of fresh elections.
But Justice Singh pointed to the constitution and stated: “Article 163 of the Constitution of Guyana explicitly stipulates that the High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether any question, whether generally or in any particular place, the election was lawfully conducted, or the result thereof has been or may have been affected by any lawful act or omission.”
The results of the elections, as declared in all ten electoral districts, show that the PPP has won the elections, with APNU coming in third, just after newcomer WIN. Those results show the PPP having 46,000 votes more than the combined total of the other five parties that contested the elections.
Out of the 77 ballot boxes from District Five in the ongoing recount exercise at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), only 30 remain to be counted as the process nears completion. This is according GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj.
The recount commenced on Thursday with votes cast in Sub-district 4 of District Four in the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
District Four recount did not produce any difference to the initial results Gunraj stated in a Facebook post earlier on Friday.
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), led by Aubrey Norton, requested a recount of the subdistrict, which included 391 boxes and a partial recount 77 boxes from District Five.
APNU suffered a major blow in the September 1 General and Regional Elections, failing to secure any regional seats and losing its status as the country’s main Opposition party.
The governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has won eight of the country’s 10 electoral districts – Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.
The newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (W.I.N.) party, led by billionaire Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the United States for bribery and corruption, has won Districts 7 and 10.
The fortunes of W.I.N will put it as the main opposition party, dethroning the Aubrey Norton-led PNC.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) reaffirms that the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections were free, fair, and credible.
We are concerned by attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the process through the selective and misleading use of the European Union Election Observation Mission’s (EU EOM) preliminary report.
The EU’s own findings are unambiguous:
Election Day was peaceful, orderly, and efficiently managed, with professional polling staff and transparent procedures.
Voting and counting were assessed positively, with Statements of Poll displayed publicly, in full compliance with the law.
As with all observer groups, the EU highlighted areas for future reform including campaign finance, media balance, and the structure of GECOM. These are recommendations to strengthen our democracy. They do not amount to evidence of fraud, nor do they challenge the legitimacy of the outcome.
Importantly, the Carter Center, the Commonwealth Observer Group, and CARICOM also confirmed that election day was both peaceful and credible. None of these respected institutions disputed the integrity of the process or the legitimacy of the results.
The PSC emphasizes that the 2025 elections faithfully reflected the will of the Guyanese people. Any mischaracterization of the EU’s report as suggesting otherwise is both misleading and untrue.
We remain committed to working with our local and international partners to advance electoral reform and to safeguard public confidence in Guyana’s democracy. [Private Sector Commission Press Release]
The Private Sector Commission continues to observe the recount process at GECOM’s Headquarters.
At this time, we are pleased to report that the process is moving along very smoothly, with over 50% of the recount now completed. The hours have been long and the work meticulous, but this reflects the dedication to ensuring the expediency and efficiency of the process. We recognize that GECOM has committed its staff to extended hours while rotating them to manage fatigue, and we have observed some political parties doing the same. Likewise, PSC observers and all international observer groups have also rotated shifts, maintaining continuous presence to uphold transparency and accountability.
We are deeply grateful for the exceptional dedication of our observers, some of whom have been on duty for more than 24 hours nonstop. Thanks to their commitment, the PSC has maintained an unbroken presence at the recount from the very beginning.
We have seen party representatives from the major parties—PPP, APNU, and WIN—present through most of the process, actively participating and ensuring that the recount is fully observed. Their sustained presence underscores that they are part of the process and its outcomes, contributing to transparency and credibility.
Our observers have not seen any legitimate signs of tampering, and no significant variation has been observed compared to the original SOP count and tabulation. Attempts to spread false reports were quickly dispelled, and any discrepancies raised were addressed by GECOM in line with the law, the Representation of the People Act.
We commend the GECOM staff for their professionalism and dedication, as well as the Guyana Police Force for maintaining high levels of security and ensuring the process continues smoothly.
Finally, the PSC applauds the maturity of the Guyanese people, who continue to show respect for the rule of law and democracy. We continue to urge political parties to guide their supporters with patience and maintain peace as the process progresses. [Private Sector Press Release]
A day after a recount commenced for votes cast in Sub-district 4 of District Four in the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the process was completed with no change to the initial results.
This is according to Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, who in a Facebook post on Friday said, “All 391 Region 4 boxes have now been counted. As expected, absolutely nothing has changed. Nothing. Next step: 77 of Region 5.”
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), led by Aubrey Norton, requested a recount of the subdistrict, which included 391 boxes and a partial recount 77 boxes from District Five.
On Thursday, Gunraj expressed concern that APNU agents are not showing any “real” interest in the tedious recount process, giving credence to his earlier statements that it is delaying the inevitable re-election of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
APNU suffered a major blow in the September 1 General and Regional Elections, failing to secure any regional seats and losing its status as the country’s main Opposition party.
The governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has won eight of the country’s 10 electoral districts – Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.
The newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (W.I.N.) party, led by billionaire Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the United States for bribery and corruption, has won Districts 7 and 10.
The fortunes of W.I.N will put it as the main opposition party, dethroning the Aubrey Norton-led PNC.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Friday criticised attempts to discredit Guyana’s September 1 Regional and General Elections, describing calls for the results to be quashed as “nonsense” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
Speaking to members of the media outside the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) headquarters, where a recount of ballots is ongoing, President Ali said he was there to visit his party’s representatives.
“We have our workers here, our elections agents. As a leader, I came to thank them for the enormous work they have been doing. The PPP/Civic family and our supporters have done a tremendous job. With hard work comes victory, five years of hard work, commitment, and serving the people,” President Ali said.
He strongly condemned opposition calls for the elections to be annulled, noting that the recount process has already confirmed the results. The Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) led by Aubrey Norton on Friday wrote GECOM asking for a forensic audit and to abort the electoral process.
“I saw a letter but it is all nonsense, absolutely ridiculous. First of all, you lose the elections, you ask for a recount, the recount shows you that you still lost the elections and now what will you do?” Ali questioned.
According to the President, such actions represent a cycle of political actors who are “not interested in the development of this country” but are instead “concerned only about power.”
“The life of this country and the lives of its citizens are at stake. Look at what these people are doing, playing games. This is just playing games with the country’s life, with people’s lives, with the electoral process,” he said.
President Ali further stated that international observers accredited to Guyana to observe the elections all deemed that it was free and fair. The President was also questioned if he personally observed irregularities during the process and he responded no.
Underscoring the importance of stability and investor confidence, the President said his administration will continue to safeguard Guyana’s democratic values.
“We have to keep this country intact and safe. We must ensure that our international investors are ready to invest, and that we demonstrate to the world that we are a credible democracy, which we have demonstrated in these elections. More importantly, we must keep investors’ confidence high,” he stated.
Caribbean leaders are making it clear, the era of talk and rhetoric has run its course.
On Friday, speaking at the 2nd Global Africa Diaspora Day during the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), they issued a bold call for unity and action with one central demand, economic sovereignty.
For years, leaders have spoken about the promise of a Global Africa Commission, a collective body that would align Africans on the continent and the diaspora behind a shared economic and political agenda.
That commission was not unveiled in Algiers. Instead, the gathering produced something tangible – the launch of the Africa Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC), a new platform designed to link African producers with diaspora markets and keep more wealth circulating within the global African family.
(Photo: IATF, September 05, 2025)
Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley set the tone with a blunt message. “We have been talking for too long. Conversations and rhetoric are not enough,” she declared, her words drawing rapt applause.
For her, the time has come to build institutions and frameworks that make economic cooperation as natural as cultural and historical bonds.
“People follow the money,” she said, urging Africans to stop taking pride in heritage alone and instead invest in shaping financial and commercial systems.
She pressed again for a Global Africa Commission, describing it as the collective body “to chart the course forward” and harness the strength of the estimated 350 million people of African descent who live outside the continent.
Mottley’s appeal was more than policy, it was moral. Quoting Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, she compared the shattered history of Africa and the diaspora to a broken vase: “The love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than the love that took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.”
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance. (Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew grounded the moment in a long struggle stretching from the Haitian Revolution to the Pan-African Congress of 1945.
“After long fights, the next fight is for economic sovereignty,” Drew said. “No one from outside will resolve our issues. We must lead ourselves and connect our people, so trade and investment bring tangible benefits — lifting our people from poverty and securing dignity.”
He reminded the audience that liberation was never gifted, saying: “blood was shed for us to be free” and argued that the economic battle must be waged with the same determination as past struggles against slavery and colonialism.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. (Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell turned to sport and culture to make his case. Africans and the diaspora dominate the global stage in athletics, football, basketball, cricket and music — yet too often the ownership, profits, and decision-making lie elsewhere.
“We cannot just provide the skill and the thrill,” he warned. “We must own the business of sport — the clubs, the stadiums, the television rights, the apparel rights — so our global citizens can benefit from their own talent and success.”
His message was that talent without ownership reproduces exploitation, while ownership brings empowerment and prosperity.
The launch of the ATDC was cast as a practical first step in that direction. Supported by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the company is designed to serve as a commercial bridge between African producers and diaspora consumers, reducing reliance on external intermediaries.
(Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)
For Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah, the ATDC is more than a business. It is a statement that Africans will no longer be “sweat labourers” enriching others.
“We must produce within our communities, sell within our communities, and take pride in consuming what our communities produce,” he said.
The atmosphere in Algiers was charged, with speeches repeatedly drawing bursts of applause, chants and even moments where, as one participant described, “the hair rose on the skin.” For many, it felt like a turning point: a shift from memory to markets, from invoking the past to building economic structures for the future.
While the Global Africa Commission remains an idea awaiting its institutional birth, the Africa Trade and Distribution Company is already on the table.
Caribbean leaders will gather again in Addis Ababa for the second Africa–Caribbean summit in a few days where they will carry the same message that while history has prepared the ground, only trade, investment and ownership will shape the destiny of a truly Global Africa.
Caribbean leaders are pushing for a Global Africa Commission to advance reparatory justice, foster economic partnerships and promote self-determination by creating direct trade and travel links between the regions.
Some 24 hours after the recount started for Subdistrict Four (East Coast Demerara) of District Four, agents for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have abandoned some of the recount stations at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in Georgetown.
GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj posted on Facebook Friday morning, “Most stations have no APNU agents, and they requested this recount. How much more can they frustrate this nation?”
It was APNU, led by Aubrey Norton, that requested a recount of the subdistrict, which includes 391 boxes and a partial recount 77 boxes from District Five.
On Thursday, Gunraj expressed concern that APNU agents are not showing any “real” interest in the tedious recount process, giving credence to his earlier statements that it is delaying the inevitable re-election of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
“While there are (party) agents in there, you are seeing no real interest from their leaders, you are seeing no real interest from their senior members, senior candidates, nothing like that. And it therefore begs the question if this is indeed a delaying tactic to frustrate the electorate and to frustrate this nation as a whole.”
Meanwhile, Rosh Khan, an accredited local observer, echoed similar sentiments to Gunraj.
Khan posted on Facebook, “Many party agents from parties who requested the recount left GECOM last night without replacements in place. Although a sprinkle have returned this morning, the vast majority have not.”
Khan said there were fleeting but heated moments from some party agents directed to other party agents and/or GECOM staff, most of which stemmed from misunderstanding the rules and process.”
He noted that “It is clear that some parties were attempting to misinform and mislead members of the public. However, after a full day and night of observation, I can say that, again, the process of the recount has remained fair and transparent.”
APNU suffered a major blow in the September 1 General and Regional Elections, failing to secure any regional seats and losing its status as the country’s main Opposition party.
The governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has won eight of the country’s 10 electoral districts – Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.
The newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (W.I.N.) party, led by billionaire Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the United States for bribery and corruption, has won Districts 7 and 10.
The fortunes of W.I.N will put it as the main opposition party, dethroning the Aubrey Norton-led PNC.
Message from the People’s Progressive Party on the Occasion of Youman Nabi 2025:
On this sacred occasion of Youman Nabi, the People’s Progressive Party extends heartfelt greetings to our Muslim brothers and sisters here in Guyana and across the world.
Youman Nabi stands as a profound reminder of the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad whose enduring message of peace, compassion, justice, and unity continues to guide and inspire humanity. His noble example urges us to embrace understanding, empathy, and respect for one another, regardless of our differences.
As we commemorate this blessed day, the PPP calls on all citizens to reflect on the universal values of love, kindness, and mutual respect — values that strengthen the bonds of friendship, tolerance, and inclusivity within our diverse nation.
May this Youman Nabi bring peace, blessings, and spiritual renewal to all, and may we continue, together, to advance the prosperity and well-being of our beloved Guyana.
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) extends warm and sincere greetings to our Muslim brothers and sisters, and to all Guyanese, on the sacred occasion of Youman Nabi, the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH).
Youman Nabi holds profound significance for the Muslim community in Guyana and across the globe. It is a time for deep reflection on the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who brought a message of peace, and universal brotherhood to the world. The Holy Prophet’s example of compassion, humility, integrity, and forgiveness continues to inspire millions to lead lives of faith and service.
For all Guyanese, regardless of religious beliefs, the observance of Youman Nabi offers a valuable opportunity to appreciate the universal principles that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) championed. His teachings on social justice, equality, care for the poor and vulnerable, and the importance of unity transcends cultural and religious boundaries.
In Guyana, those values are the very bedrock upon which our national motto is built. The Holy Prophet’s life is a testament to building bridges of understanding and fostering harmony. In his own words, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said “be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished.”
This timeless message is particularly relevant to our nation as we continue our journey of promoting harmony and good relations amongst all the ethnic groups residing in Guyana. As we join with our Muslim brothers and sisters in observing this holy day, let us all be inspired to embody the principles of tolerance, respect, and kindness in our daily interactions.
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The GECOM Chair’s response to Norton</p>
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(Photo: IATF, September 05, 2025)</p>
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St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance. (Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)</p>
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Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. (Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)</p>
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(Photo: Kurt Campbell/ September 05, 2025)