“The 2020 Elections in Guyana took place in a deeply polarised environment”, the Chief Observer said.

The first findings of the EU Election Observation Mission, headed by Urmas Paet, indicate that the elections were competitive, contestants could campaign freely and election day was well managed by the election administration.

“Unregulated political finance, biased state media, legal uncertainty and lack of transparency in the administration of elections characterised the pre-election context,” Mr Paet remarked further during a press conference held in Georgetown on 4 March.

Voting on 2 March was well managed and the electors were able to exercise their vote freely. EU observers assessed the process very positively although some procedural safeguards were not consistently applied. Counting was conducted in a transparent manner, but reconciliation procedures were not always followed. In the absence of clear, written instructions, the mission noted inconsistencies in the results transmission and tabulation.

Transparency of the election administration was undermined by the lack of access to GECOM’s key decisions, instructions and essential electoral data. Lack of institutional engagement with the media and stakeholders contributed to most parties being left out and the general public being underinformed. It is essential that GECOM finalises the tabulation in a transparent and timely manner.

The EU Election Observation Mission will remain in the country until the electoral process is completed, and will issue a final report within two to three months. This will include recommendations for improving future electoral processes in Guyana.

For further information, please contact Evan Eberle, EU EOM Press and Public Outreach Officer at evan.eberle@eueomguyana.eu or +592 687 7863.