Norton satisfied with “mechanisms” for free and fair elections after meeting diplomatic community

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 21:21 by Writer

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Aubrey Norton on Wednesday said he was satisfied with planned “mechanisms” by the international community to ensure free, fair and transparent elections on September 1.

He said the talks, which were held with the chiefs-of-mission of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union, focused on “helping to put mechanisms in place to ensure free and fair elections, accepting the problems that exist.”

The PNCR, Alliance For Change and the Working People’s Alliance have repeatedly complained that a bloated voters list – preliminarily at 757,066 – opens the door for multiple voting and voter impersonation.

The Guyana Bureau of Statistics is yet to complete its report on the 2022 census but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates Guyana’s population is 814,000.

Mr Norton, who is also Guyana’s Opposition Leader, declined to say what assurances were given to address those concerns. “I wouldn’t get into that.” Pressed on whether he was satisfied, he said, “Yes, I am.”

The United States Embassy in Guyana on Wednesday said American Ambassador Nicole Theriot joined other chiefs-of-mission in a meeting with Mr Norton and his team at the PNCR’s headquarters.

The American Embassy said Mr Norton shared the party’s vision heading into national elections and the chiefs of mission “shared their countries’ planned support for free, fair, and transparent elections in Guyana.”

United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller described Tuesday’s meeting with the PNCR Leader and his team as “good”. “Good to hear their priorities ahead of Guyana’s national election”.

The governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is on record as saying that there are sufficient safeguards to minimise the chances of voter fraud.

Pressured by the opposition and its nominated election commissioners, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Retired Justice Claudette Singh earlier this year conceded that digitalised biometric registration is legally possible, but due to time constraints that could not be done for the upcoming elections. She, however, cautioned that digitalised biometric verification could not be used exclusively at polling stations as that would be unconstitutional.