–supports GECOM’s emphasis on illegality of vote-buying

OPPOSITION A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has supported the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s condemnation of any attempts to buy votes.
The APNU, in a press release, stressed the importance of secrecy of the ballot and noted that elections can only be a true reflection of the will of the people when they can vote freely.
As the GECOM press release emphasised, specific laws do exist in these regards – laws that are clear in their language and intent, APNU pointed out.

“Not only are those who directly or indirectly seek to buy votes guilty of the ‘corrupt practice of bribery’, but so too are those electors who accept such bribes. We, therefore, urge all Guyanese electors not to be tempted to break the law and risk fines and imprisonment for any bribe waved in their faces by those who believe that popularity could be bought,” the release read.
The opposition has also put forth the suggestion that GECOM and the Guyana Police Force set up hotlines where persons can anonymously report these and other incidents of electoral fraud.

APNU further said: “The other contesting political parties, which are interested in free and credible elections, should have no difficulty in publicly endorsing these and other measures to maintain the secrecy of the ballot. They should raise their voices now…”

On Monday, GECOM reminded all stakeholders in the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections that they all have a statutory duty and civic responsibility to contribute to the elections being conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.

In this regard, the Commission took the opportunity to strongly emphasise the need for voters and other concerned stakeholders to be informed of the following provisions as enacted in the Representation of the People Act Cap: 1:03: – “It is an offence for any person, including the voter himself, to communicate at any time to any person, any information about the political party for which any voter has voted on his behalf or as a proxy on behalf of another voter; Similarly, it is an offence for anyone to influence, by any means, a voter to display his ballot paper, to make known the political party for whom he has voted on his behalf, or as a proxy.

Further, it is an offence for any person, directly or indirectly, to offer any money, gift, and/or a loan, to any voter to secure the vote of any voter at the elections.
Any person who commits any of the above offences shall be liable on summary conviction to pay a fine and to imprisonment for six months.”
“Persons convicted for any of the above offences may also be prohibited from participating in future elections,” GECOM said.