Only High Court can annul elections, GECOM Chairman tells Norton

Only Guyana’s High Court has the authority to annul elections, GECOM Chairman Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh said on Friday in response to a request from APNU presidential candidate Aubrey Norton for a forensic audit or fresh elections.

Singh said the commission received Norton’s letter on Thursday, which called for “a forensic audit of the elections or the complete annulment of the current electoral process and the holding of fresh elections.” She emphasised that GECOM’s role is to conduct elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while adhering strictly to the laws of Guyana, and that any claims of irregularities beyond ongoing recounts must be addressed through the courts.

“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 unlawful act or omission,” Singh wrote, citing Article 163 of the Constitution. She added that once the recounts in Sub-District 4 of District 4 and the 77 ballot boxes in District 5 are completed and results presented, “any party 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.”

Singh reaffirmed that GECOM is “committed to ensuring that the will of the people, as expressed through their votes, is accurately reflected in the final results” and urged stakeholders to allow the established legal and procedural mechanisms to run their course.

The APNU, the main opposition party, had requested recounts and a forensic audit following the 2025 general and regional elections, which saw a landslide victory for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).