With General and Regional Elections scheduled on September 1, former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government minister and political analyst, Dr. Henry Jeffrey is urging immediate electoral reforms and greater political cooperation among opposition forces. Drawing on international research and recent developments, Jeffrey outlined a series of concerns regarding the electoral environment and the need for a united, vigilant response to ensure democratic credibility.
Citing the work of political scientists Nicholas Cheeseman and Brian Klaas from their book “How to Rig an Election”, Dr. Jeffrey, in his today’s article, said that Guyana already shows clear signs of rigging tactics used by what the authors call “counterfeit democrats and autocrats.” These include gerrymandering, vote buying, repression of opposition activity, and digital manipulation, with only ballot box stuffing and duping the international community yet to fully materialise.
“In relation to the 2025 elections, the current PPP autocratic regime has already violated all the above except for the stuffing of ballot boxes and duping the international community,” Jeffrey wrote.
According to Cheeseman and Klaas, all such tactics require the complicity of a captured electoral commission—something Dr. Jeffrey argues is plainly evident in Guyana.
“After all the international recommendations, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) remains firmly in the hands of the PPP,” he declared, adding that key reforms such as cleansing the voters’ list, reorganizing GECOM, and introducing biometric voter verification have been ignored.
PPP Accused of Short-Circuiting Reform
Jeffrey suggested that the PPP’s sudden announcement of the September 1 election date may have been an attempt to preempt international reform assistance. He had previously welcomed a partnership between the United Kingdom and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) intended to strengthen Guyana’s electoral process, but he now fears those efforts could be undermined.
“I viewed the hurriedly called elections as an attempt to short-circuit this intervention,” he stated, warning that “if we proceed to elections without serious reforms, an autocratic outcome is inevitable.”
International Eyes on Guyana, But Doubts Remain
Dr. Jeffrey noted that Opposition Leader Mr. Aubrey Norton recently met with representatives of the Sweden-based Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)—an organisation aligned with international democratic norms and believed to be part of the UK-UNDP election support effort.
The Carter Centre and the European Union have also indicated their willingness to observe the elections. However, Jeffrey cautioned that mere observation without prior reform would only lend false legitimacy to a broken process.
“Unless some radical reforms or consensual adjustments take place, they are about to be involved in an electoral process that is so flawed that it can only be democratically acceptable if the opposition wins,” he said, adding that Cheeseman and Klaas’s advice would suggest monitors should refuse to participate under such conditions.
Still, he acknowledged that international monitors may proceed based on the belief that even flawed elections can benefit from oversight, especially if it helps the opposition challenge rigged results and garner international support.
A Call for Unity: “Time to Politically Confront the Dictatorial PPP Regime”
Dr. Jeffrey closed with an urgent call for political unity to challenge what he described as a “dictatorial PPP regime.” He praised signs of progress between the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), noting that the AFC appears to have accepted Mr. Norton as the coalition’s presidential candidate.
“The AFC would be a valued partner… and one must hope that a similar adherence to established moral political principles and realism govern the remainder of the coalition discourse,” he said.
In a final warning, Jeffrey reminded that Guyana’s democratic institutions are under stress, and the country now finds itself part of a global trend toward authoritarianism. Citing the 2025 V-Dem report, he noted that only 12% of the world’s population lives in liberal democracies, while 72% live under autocratic rule.
“Those who wish to live in a free, inclusive, equitable, and prosperous Guyana must now coalesce to politically confront the existing regime,” he urged.
