Guyana elections seen as fair, but inclusivity challenges remain - Commonwealth observer report on Guyana’s 2025 elections

However, the Group noted persistent challenges, which affected public confidence and equity, including uneven access to campaign resources, media bias that favoured the governing party, weak regulation of campaign finance, and ongoing partisan divides. The Group, deployed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, was led by Mrs. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, former Foreign Minister of Tonga, and included ten eminent members. The Observers visited Guyana from 23 August to 7 September 2025 and observed election operations across seven regions. During their visit members engaged with political parties, electoral authorities, civil society, media, and international partners. The Group in its engagement noted gaps in inclusive participation: youth, persons with disabilities, and Amerindian communities were underrepresented, and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) lacked sex-disaggregated data for polling staff and candidates, which limited transparency in planning for inclusion. The Group, however, commended several reforms, including updates to the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2022 and the National Registration (Amendment) Act 2022, as well a...