Attorney General Anil Nandlall has rejected a recent legal challenge seeking to invalidate sections of Guyana’s electoral framework as “baseless” and “ill-conceived,” accusing the presidential hopeful behind the move of attempting to rewrite the Constitution to suit personal ambition.
Speaking during his “Issues in the News” programme on Tuesday night, Nandlall revealed that two actions have been filed in the High Court by surrogates of an individual aspiring to contest the 2025 General and Regional Elections as an independent presidential candidate.
The suits reportedly seek to nullify parts of the Representation of the People Act and question the constitutionality of Guyana’s electoral system—specifically, its requirement for candidates to be part of a list in order to contest.
According to Nandlall, the litigant’s position is based on the belief that unless he submits a candidate list through the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), he would be barred from running.
“Apparently, this presidential aspirant fears that if he doesn’t get a list, he may not be able to contest. That’s his understanding,” the Attorney General remarked.
But Nandlall was quick to dismiss the legal challenge, asserting that Guyana’s system of Proportional Representation (PR), entrenched in the Constitution since 1964 and further refined through extensive consultations during the 1999–2001 constitutional reform process, is well established and legally sound.
“Our Constitution is clear,” he said. “Elections for the National Assembly must be held using the Proportional Representation system. If someone wants to be elected, they must be part of a list.”
Citing Articles 09 and 60 of the Constitution, Nandlall emphasised that the sovereignty of the people is exercised through their elected representatives, chosen via a system prescribed by law. Under Article 60, members of the National Assembly are elected through secret ballot “in accordance with a system of proportional representation,” he said.
Further, Nandlall traced the historical evolution of Guyana’s electoral system—from its first-past-the-post origins in 1953, through the adoption of PR in 1964, to the reforms of the early 2000s—arguing that the structure has withstood decades of elections and legal scrutiny.
“We’ve had four elections since 2000 under this system. No one challenged it until now. Someone suddenly wakes up with money and decides to change the electoral system through the courts? That’s not how democracy works,” he stated.
While he did not name the aspirant, Nandlall suggested the court actions were timed to sow confusion ahead of the next elections. “These actions are fishing expeditions… It is a transparent attempt to derail a system that has been in place for over 60 years.”
He also noted that international observers, including from the Carter Center, have already signalled their intention to observe the 2025 polls, underscoring the legitimacy and openness of the process. “The PPP fought for 28 years to ensure international observers could monitor our elections. Every single observer since 1992 has certified our elections as free, fair, and democratic.”
Ending on a defiant note, Nandlall reiterated that Guyana’s electoral system cannot be challenged on a whim. “We welcome observers. We welcome scrutiny. But we reject frivolous lawsuits from those who cannot gather the public support needed to contest through proper channels,” he said.
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