Private Sector Commission prefers non-legal regulation of campaign financing

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 December 2025, 20:01 by Writer

The umbrella Private Sector Commission (PSC) has recommended national discussions be held to modernise Guyana’s election campaign finance framework but does not immediately favour specific legislation.

“The PSC emphasises that it does not advocate a specific legislative design at this stage; rather, it supports a structured exploration that can yield fair, transparent, and enforceable standards appropriate to Guyana’s evolving political landscape,” said the apex chamber of all major business organisations nationwide in its election observer report on the September 1 general and regional elections.

In the absence of a campaign finance law, the PSC did not say how its idea of standards can be enforced.

The PSC said a national working group should be tasked with reviewing and modernising Guyana’s campaign finance framework. “This consultation should examine international best practices, including disclosure requirements, reporting timelines, spending caps, and oversight models,” the PSC said.

All international observer missions have for several decades cited the need for campaign finance legislation.

But the People’s Progressive Party Civic and People’s National Congress Reform, the parent party of A Partnership for National Unity, do not favour campaign finance legislation that would disclose the identities of donors or financiers.

The Representation of the People Act requires parties to report their expenses to the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission but no party complies.

There is no stipulated punishment for failing to do so.

Mirroring a position taken by the incumbent PPPC, the PSC believes that a party in government is not abusing the media or enjoys an unfair advantage over its opponents by saturating the state-owned radio, television and newspapers with content from the administration during the electioneering period. “elections.

“It should, however, be accepted that media coverage, whether state or privately owned, of the President, Prime Minister, and Cabinet Ministers in the performance of their official duties cannot be regarded as party political campaigning, and if this coverage is of political consequence, then it is the result of the advantage of being in government,” the PSC said.

At the same time it said, “The matter of the role of the state-owned media with regard to the fairness of the electoral process should be addressed for future elections.” It did not provide specific ideas or proposals on how this should be done.

The PSC noted the fact of state-owned and directed broadcast and print media operating as public corporations. “It can be argued that state-owned media used to further the political interests of the governing party in an election period directly compromises the fairness of the electoral process and is a matter which should be addressed in future elections.”

The PSC is regarded in some circles as sympathetic or cozy with the PPPC.