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Long described as impenetrable fortresses of the PNC-led APNU, Regions Four and Ten recorded historic defeats for that party in Monday’s general and regional elections.

Based on Statements of Poll (SOPs) released by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/Civic) is projected to win Region Four and newcomer We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) is projected to win Region 10.

In Region Four, the PPP/C is projected to secure over 76,000 votes, almost double that of APNU’s 40,407.

Over in Region 10, WIN hammered APNU and secured the most votes in the region, while the PPP/C bagged the third-highest number of votes.

At the 2020 General and Regional Elections, APNU, then in coalition with the AFC, copped 116,941 votes while the PPP/C secured 80,920 votes.

Both regions, which were fractured politically this year by the entrance of the WIN party, have never been lost by the PNC, which rebranded to APNU in 2011 with a group of small parties without any real constituencies.

Several prominent political figures, including James Bond, a former executive member of the PNC/R who defected to the PPP this year, had projected a victory for the ruling party in Region Four ahead of the polls.

His contention that the incumbent would make inroads into opposition strongholds was premised on the party’s increased presence and grassroots activism within communities where it did not previously enjoy political support.

Editor’s Note: The News Room has amended the vote count for Region 10, pending the official number of votes is released by GECOM. 

The post PNCR-led APNU toppled in Regions 4, 10 appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, 45, is projected to win a second term in office following general and regional elections held on Monday.

Results from most election poll statements posted online by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), show that Dr Ali and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) have won the majority of votes.

In a message before GECOM announced the official results, President Ali urged Guyanese “to celebrate our democratic values as we open another chapter in the development of our beautiful country.”

Over 372,000 people voted on Monday, and of the votes cast, the PPP/C secured more than 200,000 votes. This means that the PPP/C will make up the majority in the 65-seat legislature and form the next government.

Significantly, the News Room projects that the PPP/C will win Region Four, the country’s largest electoral district. It is a district that the PPP has never won since Guyana gained independence in 1966.

The Statements of Poll (SOPs) show that the 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 the other two Districts.

The fortunes of W.I.N will put it as the main opposition party, dethroning the Aubrey Norton-led PNC.

Editor’s Note: This story was amended following the declaration of results for Region 8, which now shows that the PPP has won that region.

The post PROJECTION: Dr Irfaan Ali secures second term appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Election Observation Mission (CEOM) has commended the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for its efforts to enhance transparency in Monday’s General and Regional Elections, particularly through the introduction of the electronic transmission and public display of Statements of Poll (SOPs).

By law, GECOM is now mandated to upload all SOPs on their online platform for public viewing and access. This new measure was implemented after the March 2020 fiasco when agents of the former APNU+AFC government tried to rig the elections to stay in office.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief of Mission Josephine Tamai said the initiative represents a significant step in strengthening the credibility of the tabulation process.

“The CEOM commends GECOM on the legal amendments made to enhance the integrity of the tabulation process, particularly the provision for electronic transmission and public display of SOPs to ensure transmission.

“These measures are important to ensure transparency and accountability,” Tamai, who is the Chief Elections Officer of Belize, said.

The 2025 General and Regional Elections were held on September 1.  The 10-member team, drawn from eight CARICOM states, visited 324 polling stations across regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.

Tamai said the observers noticed that most polling stations opened on time, voting proceeded peacefully, and orderly and polling staff and supplies were in place.

Adequate police presence was also seen at all locations, and Tamai said there were no signs of intimidation, harassment or unlawful campaigning observed.

“While voter turnout appeared slow for significant portions of the day, polling staff remained focused on their duty ensuring all…were able to cast their ballots,” Tamai said.

Meanwhile, the mission expressed concern that some polling stations were not easily accessible for elderly and disabled persons, as they were located on upper floors.

Still, observers were satisfied that “enough safeguards were in place to prevent voter impersonation,” and found no evidence of intimidation, harassment or unlawful campaigning.

Looking ahead, the CEOM urged GECOM to continue efforts to improve the accuracy of the voters’ list.

Despite previous submissions of information, she said the mission was informed that the names of deceased persons remain on the list, raising questions about its reliability.

To address this, Tamai suggested that Guyana could consider a re-registration exercise or intensify work to remove ineligible names.

As the country awaits the results of the elections, Tamai, on behalf of the mission, called on Guyanese to remain “calm, peaceful and patient,” emphasising that the will of the people must be respected.

“Now more than ever, Guyanese should stand together and put the country first. The strength of the nation lies in its unity, resilience and commitment to the democratic process,” she said.

The mission will submit a final report with comprehensive findings and recommendations to the CARICOM Secretary-General in the coming weeks.

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See below full statement issued by GECOM:

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has noted the circulation of a Facebook post allegedly by ‘Melly Mel’ accusing GECOM of opening ballot boxes in districts 3, 4 and 6, respectively.

These allegations are blatantly false and are clearly designed to cause public confusion and chaos. In this regard, it must be emphasized the opening of any sealed ballot box can be done only if there is a request for a recount after a declaration is done.

The fact that no declaration was done at the time of the post meant that GECOM could not open any ballot box.

GECOM therefore renews its call for stakeholders to desist from publishing unverified information and urges the public to be aware of the heightened spread of disinformation in this sensitive political environment.

GECOM is working to ensure that it completes all the requisite procedures in an efficient manner and in conformity with the legal requirements.

The post GECOM rejects Facebook Post on the opening of ballot boxes appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Statement by the Bar Association of Guyana on their preliminary Observations of the 2025 general and regional elections held on 1st September, 2025:

The Bar Association of Guyana was accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as a Local Observer of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, which were held on 1st September 2025.

Acting under this mandate, the Bar Association has been monitoring the election process and a team of its members was dispatched countrywide to observe the voting process on election day. The team observed preparation, opening of polls, voting, close of polls and counting at over 500 polling stations at over 105 polling places in Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice throughout the day.

While the process, including our observation status, is not yet complete since results have not yet been declared, the preliminary reports received at the current time from our Observation Team are that the voting process on Election Day was generally peaceful and that General and Regional Elections were observed to be free, fair and transparent.

The members of our team wish to extend their appreciation to the GECOM staff who discharged their duties on election day with professionalism and competence, under sometimes challenging conditions, to ensure free and fair elections throughout Guyana.

As GECOM commences the process leading to the declaration of results, we urge patience in permitting GECOM to complete its work to deliver accurate results.

We would like to remind members of the public that GECOM is the only body with the lawful authority to declare the results of the General and Regional Elections held on 1st September, 2025.

We urge continued peace and patience while the process works its way to the declaration of results.

The post Elections were free, fair & transparent – Guyana Bar Association appeared first on News Room Guyana.

See below comment given to the News Room from President Dr Irfaan Ali:

I thank and congratulate every Guyanese for peacefully exercising their democratic right on the 1st of September.

As GECOM continues the process of uploading, verification, and tabulation, I urge all to celebrate our democratic values as we open another chapter in the development of our beautiful country.

By the end of today, the trend will be clear, and we will be in a position to move forward together.

May God continue to bless our country and all its people.

The post President Ali hails peaceful voting, urges unity as results take shape appeared first on News Room Guyana.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Monday night urged citizens to be patient for election results but said the PPP has the “macro” picture and “it’s a good picture.”

“We have a macro picture, and as far as I see, it’s a good picture.

“You don’t have to wait five months for these results… by tomorrow SOPs (Statements of Poll) will be uploaded and every Guyanese will know the results,” Jagdeo told reporters at the PPP’s Freedom House headquarters.

He indicated A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had a dismal showing, saying they would have a very “difficult” night.

Jagdeo urged persons- supporters and citizens at large- to be patient and wait for the official declaration of the results. However, he painted a positive picture for the PPP.

He said the results trickling in now from various parts of the country confirm trends the PPP predicted- that includes the PPP retaining its support and maybe losing some to WIN, but that WIN would also eat away at APNU’s support base.

He said that APNU miscalculated the impact of WIN, thinking that the new party would have affected the PPP.

“They [APNU] made a serious miscalculation. They were hoping that WIN will damage the PPP and somehow lead to a minority government. Now WIN will take support from APNU, it might take small numbers from the PPP…,” Jagdeo explained.

Jagdeo, like officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has been urging persons to await official results declared by the electoral body.

The post ‘It’s a good picture’ – Jagdeo tells supporters be patient for results appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is working to guarantee that results from the 2025 General and Regional Elections are made known at the soonest, according to the body’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward.

A day before the elections, Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud said the results could be known by the night of September 3, and an official declaration may come the morning after, once there are no major delays or requests for recounts. However, Ward did not want to give a definitive timeline.

“We have committed to delivering those results within the shortest possible time, of course, taking into account all of the legal provisions in place,” Ward said, explaining that requests for a recount could push back any declaration.

Nevertheless, she urged persons to await results only from GECOM, not from external sources, including Facebook pages purporting to have Statements of Poll (SOPs) from polling stations. The electoral body has an online gallery on its website that should be updated with the SOPs as received.

“We want to ensure that this process is concluded in the shortest time possible,” Ward said.

The post GECOM committed to delivering election results ‘in shortest possible time’ – PRO  appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has strongly condemned the circulation of a fake Statement of Poll (SOP) by the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, led by U.S.-sanctioned businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, describing it as a deliberate attempt to mislead the electorate and create a false impression of victory for a political party.

At a night press conference on Monday, GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward read a statement from Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, who said the Commission had noted the appearance of the fabricated SOP just one minute after the scheduled close of polls.

The SOP appeared on the ‘Team Mohamed’s Facebook page less than five minutes after the close of polls at 18:00 hrs. This Facebook page is owned and managed by Azruddin.

The fake SOP that GECOM said was shared on the Team Mohamed’s Facebook page

“GECOM rejects the publication of fake Statements of Poll. It is impossible for the counting of ballots at any polling station to have commenced at that time. This despicable act can only be seen as creating a platform on which the political party associated with the Facebook page can create the impression that it has been successful at the polls,” Persaud’s statement said.

It added, “This despicable act can only be seen as creating a platform on which the political party associated with Team Mohameds’s Facebook page can create the impression that it has been successful at the polls.”

The CEO stressed that only GECOM is authorised to declare results, and that the public should rely solely on its official website and announcements from Returning Officers and Supernumerary Returning Officers in the districts and sub-districts.

National results, Persaud said, will be declared by GECOM in accordance with the law.

“The publication of fake results will be put to the Guyana Police Force for investigation,” he added.

Ward, responding to related questions, reminded that the Commission has consistently urged political parties and individuals to desist from using SOPs for unofficial declarations. She cautioned that the spread of false or premature information undermines transparency and risks confusing voters.

Her comments also touched on another controversy—photos of ballots circulating online. While one image was allegedly posted by a former national cyclist, Ward made it clear that GECOM has no investigative mandate.

“Investigating the origin of such photographs lies in the hands of the police,” she noted.

Ward said signs and notices had been displayed at polling stations barring the use of phones in voting compartments, with designated areas provided for voters to leave their devices. She expressed satisfaction that incidents of defiance had been limited.

Despite these challenges, GECOM maintains that the electoral process was conducted in keeping with the law and reiterated that the Commission remains the sole source of verified results.

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