Guyana gov’t invites EU to observe 2025 elections

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 May 2024, 22:18 by Writer

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, René Van Nes on Thursday announced that the 27-member bloc was likely to approve this country’s request for a mission to observe next year’s general and regional elections.

“I’m happy to tell you that the government of Guyana has officially invited the European Union to observe the general elections of 2025 and we are looking very favourably at that invitation,” he told a reception to mark Europe Day.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is already on record as saying that Guyanese would be going to the polls in November, 2025. The Guyana Elections Commission first has to advise the President of its readiness to hold the elections within a given timeframe.

The 2020 EU Election Observer Mission had noted that the last general and regional elections were held in an environment of unregulated campaign financing, biased state media and a lack of transparency in administering the elections.

No campaign financing legislation has been enacted and the state-owned radio, television and newspaper continue to be used as ruling party mouthpieces.

However, a number 0f election laws have been amended to avoid a repeat of the fiasco in 2020 when several declarations had been used in Region Four in an effort to declare the then incumbent A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change as the winner.