In a timely diplomatic engagement ahead of Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections, the Alliance For Change (AFC) met with senior representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union (ABC&EU) on June 16, 2025, at its Centre for Change office in Georgetown.
The delegation of diplomats included U.S. Ambassador Hon. Nicole Theriot, British High Commissioner Hon. Jane Miller, Canadian High Commissioner Hon. Sebastien Sigouin, and EU Ambassador Hon. Rene Van Nes. Representing the AFC were Party Leader C.A. Nigel Hughes, Chairman David Patterson, Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan, and other senior party executives.
With national elections on the horizon, the meeting centered on the AFC’s forward-looking development agenda, presented by Hughes, which received strong interest from the diplomatic corps. However, the dialogue also highlighted mounting concerns over electoral integrity and administrative shortcomings at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The AFC flagged the recent, unexplained alteration of statutory candidate submission forms as a major issue—one that has created financial and logistical burdens for parties without any extension of critical deadlines. The party argued that such changes, introduced without adequate notice or justification, compromise the fairness of the electoral process.
Also raised were the slow and insufficient reforms following the 2020 elections. The AFC noted that despite 26 recommendations in the European Union’s final observer report, only two have been implemented in the past five years. This lack of progress, they emphasized, continues to erode public confidence in GECOM’s ability to deliver free and fair elections.
The AFC reaffirmed its willingness to cooperate with GECOM to ensure a credible and transparent election, while calling on the commission to be more responsive to formal correspondence and concerns raised by political stakeholders.
GECOM has long faced criticism over key weaknesses that continue to undermine public confidence in the electoral process. Chief among these is the issue of a bloated voters list, which currently exceeds the size of the adult population according to census data. This has raised widespread concerns about the potential for electoral fraud, impersonation, and administrative errors on election day. As of February 2025, GECOM’s Preliminary List of Electors stood at approximately 738,484 names, up from 660,998 in 2020 in a population that is approximately 780,000.
Despite repeated calls from political parties, civil society, and international observer missions, GECOM has refused to implement biometric voter verification at polling stations—a move that could significantly improve the credibility and transparency of the vote. Biometric systems, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, are already in use across many democracies to prevent double voting and ensure voter identity.
In addition, GECOM has been slow or unwilling to adopt the majority of electoral reforms recommended after the contentious 2020 elections. These include changes to improve transparency, strengthen oversight, and modernize electoral administration. The failure to address these issues has left the electoral system vulnerable and has been a major point of contention ahead of the 2025 polls.
