EU EOM to Guyana presents Final Report with 18 recommendations to further strengthen future electoral processes

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Guyana today published its Final Report on the 1 September 2025 General and Regional elections. The report concludes that while the elections took place in a context of deep political polarisation, the polls were peaceful and well-run, with Election Day and tabulation administered efficiently. 

Chief Observer Robert Biedroń, Member of the European Parliament, stated: “The 2025 elections showed important improvements in the way voting and counting were conducted, and Guyanese citizens once again demonstrated their commitment to democratic participation. Still political polarisation and an uneven playing field reduced public confidence in the process. Our recommendations aim to contribute to reforms that can strengthen the processes and further enhance transparency, inclusiveness and accountability.”

The EU EOM Final report notes that the legal framework is broadly adequate and that recent reforms, including the real-time online publication of Statements of Poll, marked significant improvements for the transparency and traceability of results. Candidate registration was inclusive, with six political parties contesting and there was a strong representation of women. 

At the same time, the EU EOM found that the level playing field was distorted by an undue advantage of incumbency,  misuse of state resources, and under-regulated, weakly enforced campaign finance rules. The politicised structure of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and insufficient communication undermined confidence among opposition parties, compounded by some concerns about the accuracy of the voter list. Traditional and online media environment was vibrant but antagonistic, with pro-government bias and limited rules on equitable access. Encouragingly, some independent voices helped voters make a more informed choice. Persons with disabilities continued to face barriers to equal participation and civil society observers were largely absent.

To address challenges, the EU EOM highlights six priority recommendations calling on the stakeholders to:

• Enhance the prospects for key electoral reforms through necessary electoral expertise as part of a robust CRC operational framework.

• Update the voter list in light of most recent available population data, and data from  all relevant state institution, ensuring linking to ongoing digitalization solutions.

• Adopt clear and comprehensive campaign rules, including for the conduct of public  officials and for the use of all types of state assets to avoid undue advantage of  incumbency.

• Strengthen the operational oversight for campaign finance through an independent  oversight body and revising outdated legal provisions, including expenditure ceilings and permissible expenses.

• Establish media campaign coverage rules on equitable airtime and space for electoral  contestants as well as political advertising, in a timely and consultative manner. 

• Implement the Data Protection Act and establish a publicly accountable Data Protection office, thus effectively protect voters’ personal data from undue  publication and from misuse for political gains

“The EU remains committed to work with Guyanese partners on strengthening the democratic process and will continue to engage on electoral reform in the coming months and years.” the Chief Observer concluded.

The fifty member strong EU EOM was deployed at the invitation of the Government of Guyana and was present in the country from 23 July to 20 September. The Final Report is available on the mission’s website.