The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has set aside January 10,2020 as Nominations Day.

GECOM said on Saturday via newspaper advertisements, that all political parties desirous of contesting the General and Regional Elections to be held in March, 2nd, 2020 are required to submit a symbol for approval by the elections body before nomination day.

“GECOM is hereby requesting that applications for the approval of symbols be submitted no later than 13th December, 2019, to facilitate timely consideration by the commission and provide a response to the respective applicants. Symbols in both printed and electronic versions should be submitted to the Officer of the Chief Elections Officer, 31 Fort Street, Kingston Georgetown,” the GECOM advertisement stated.

Guyana’s constitution mandates that each contesting political party must submit each of the Lists of Candidates on Nomination Day, one National Top-Up List, at least six Geographical Constituencies’ Lists and the Regional Democratic Councils’ Lists that the given Party may seek to contest on Nomination day.

The various Lists of Candidates must comprise registered voters who are eligible to be elected as members of the National Assembly.

The various Lists of Candidates must be accompanied by Statutory Declarations by each person named therein as candidates, indicating their consent to be nominated before a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Oaths, notary public or other person authorized by law to administer an oath in theplace where the declaration is made.

The Constitution also stipulates that a person may be a signatory to a List of Candidates, notwithstanding that he/she is named therein as a candidate.

Candidates’ names may be duplicated only in that contesting party’s Geographical Constituency Lists and on its National Top-Up Lists; however it must be noted that a Candidate’s name must appear on only one Geographical Constituency’s List.

In addition to the main political parties, a number of small groups have indicated their intentions to contest next year’s elections.

The governing coalition-A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change- is seeking re-election for a second term.