GUYANA - Four of the six presidential candidates contesting Guyana’s General and Regional Elections have already cast their ballots, reporting largely smooth experiences at polling stations across the country.
Polls opened promptly at 06:00 hours, with Aubrey Norton, the Leader of the APNU, being the first candidate to vote at Plaisance Secondary School on the East Coast Demerara. Norton’s main concern was the positioning of the voting booth, which he argued did not adequately conceal the voter's body, though he added that, apart from that issue, the process looked normal.
Norton emphasized the importance of the 2025 elections, urging a responsible approach to managing Guyana’s oil wealth and ensuring that resources from oil and gas reach the people. “These elections are critical because it’s an opportunity to ensure there is a reallocation of the resources that come from oil to the people of Guyana. It is the first general election after the utilization of oil resources, and we’ve had the opportunity to show the Guyanese people that resources from oil and gas are not reaching them,” he said. He also expressed solidarity with Joint Services members who recently faced hostility from the Venezuelan shore while escorting GECOM officials and ballots along the Upper Cuyuni River near Bamboo, at the Guyana–Venezuela border, calling for technology at border areas to monitor and respond to developments.
Meanwhile, Azruddin Mohamed, the presidential candidate of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), voted at Eccles Nursery School on East Bank Demerara. He described the process as “a bit slow” and urged citizens to turn out early, hoping that turnout would be high enough to ensure everyone votes before 18:00. Nigel Hughes, the AFC presidential candidate, voted at the Lions Club of Central Demerara Building in Mocha and praised the process as “flawless,” despite minor discomforts such as a blackout and hot conditions for poll agents. Like Norton, Hughes warned of possible destabilisation attempts from Venezuela, stressing vigilance against cyber interventions and disruptions through social media. Amanza Walton-Desir, representing the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), voted at the Eccles Community Centre on East Bank Demerara. Polls are set to close at 18:00, and GECOM has indicated that official results are expected on September 4, 2025. (newsroom)
