Commonwealth observers praise peaceful elections in Guyana

The Commonwealth Observer Group accredited to observe the 2025 General and Regional Elections in Guyana has commended the people of Guyana for the peaceful conduct of the polls and has also made recommendations for key reforms to further strengthen transparency, inclusivity, and public confidence in the electoral process.

Presenting the group’s preliminary findings on Wednesday at a press briefing, Chairperson of the Group, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, the former Foreign Minister of Tonga, said that the elections were largely orderly and peaceful.

“The general environment on election day was peaceful, with polling generally opening on time. Though polling procedures were largely respected, in some cases there were minor inconsistencies in their application by polling staff,” ‘Utoikamanu said.

The Observer Group also praised the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the professionalism of polling staff, the conduct of disciplined forces voting, and the improved tabulation and publication of results compared to the 2020 elections. However, recommendations were made to include other essential workers in early voting as well.

‘Utoikamanu said concerns were raised about reports of intimidation of public sector workers and business owners, alleged misuse of state resources for campaigning, and inequitable media coverage, particularly in state-owned outlets. The group also highlighted instances where newer political parties faced difficulties in holding rallies or campaigning outside of Georgetown.

She said the Group recommends that all political stakeholders give priority to the establishment of a robust post-electoral domestic mechanism that may, in the short term, produce the legislative and constitutional reform needed for the conduct of credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.

Key Recommendations

The Observer Group made several recommendations to strengthen democracy in Guyana, including:

• Reviewing GECOM’s composition to build greater transparency and trust
• Conducting an enumeration exercise to address concerns about the Official List of Electors (OLE)
• Considering the adoption of biometric voter verification
• Updating campaign financing laws and enforcing regulations
• Ensuring media equity through legislation and adopting a media code of conduct for elections
• Making polling stations fully accessible to persons with disabilities
• Appointing a substantive legal adviser to GECOM
• Establishing an independent fact-checking mechanism to counter misinformation

The group also urged stronger support for civil society and smaller political parties to ensure inclusivity and fairness in future elections.

The Observer Group further applauded GECOM on its new tabulation process for the Statements of Poll and District Tabulation Forms, noting that the process was followed and well understood by party agents.

“The ascertainment of votes, results tabulation, and verification were conducted with transparency and professionalism, and party agents were given copies of Statements of Poll. The Statements of Poll were uploaded to the GECOM website by the Returning Officers, and the Group commends GECOM on these improvements from the 2020 elections, which can improve the accuracy and transparency of the results,” ‘Utoikamanu said.

However, additional recommendations were made to further streamline the counting and tabulation process.

The group also encouraged the creation of a robust domestic mechanism to implement past and present observer recommendations, describing this as essential for credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.

“We congratulate the people of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana for demonstrating their steadfast commitment to democracy and for participating in an orderly manner in the exercise of their franchise. We commend GECOM, the polling staff, political parties, police, and the media for their respective roles in the conduct of these elections,” ‘Utoikamanu said.

The Chairperson also used the opportunity to call for peace in the country as the official results are yet to be declared by GECOM.

“We call on all political parties to continue to encourage their candidates, supporters, and other stakeholders to work for national unity, peace, and solidarity. We urge all parties, should any election disputes arise, to follow the prescribed legal channels for their resolution,” ‘Utoikamanu said.

The final detailed report of the Commonwealth Observer Group will be published within the next two to three months.