US Ambassador Nicole Theriot says the concerns raised by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed over the impasse at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are being taken seriously, warning that any resulting failure to hold local and regional elections would be “not good for democracy”.
“Absolutely. He is the Leader of the Opposition and we take the concerns very seriously,” Theriot told reporters on the sidelines of the 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference when asked about Mohamed’s correspondence to the diplomatic community.
She confirmed that the correspondence had been received and said the issues it raised were being examined. “The concerns are valid, and they’re something that we look into, absolutely,” she said.
Theriot singled out the effect a stalled GECOM could have on elections. She said Mohamed had pointed out that if the commission did not move forward, regional and municipal elections might not be held. “That’s not good for democracy,” she said, adding that the correspondence contained “some really good points”. Similar concerns had been raised by other opposition leaders, she said.
The comments follow an August 19 briefing note from Mohamed’s office to diplomatic missions and international organisations. According to Kiskadee Watch, the note argued that GECOM’s three opposition-nominated commissioners remained in place despite a change in the parliamentary opposition after the 2025 general elections. Mohamed’s We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party won 16 seats and became the largest opposition party, while APNU won 12 and the Forward Guyana Movement one.
The commissioners—Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman—have maintained that a change in opposition leadership does not itself provide a legal basis for their removal. Mohamed’s office said he consulted the other parliamentary opposition parties before submitting three nominees to President Irfaan Ali on June 30, then wrote again on August 7 after receiving no substantive response.
His note also questioned why none of the 69 paid opposition scrutineers at GECOM represented WIN or the Forward Guyana Movement. It asked international partners to monitor the impasse and encourage a constitutional resolution, while saying it was not seeking their intervention in Guyana’s appointment process.
Asked what would happen next, Theriot said she could speak only for the United States, which continued to engage with opposition parties. “I see them constantly and work with them very, very closely,” she said. She had a meeting with WIN scheduled for next week and was due to meet another opposition representative later yesterday, she added.
Theriot said those discussions were generally held with parties individually.
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