Carter Centre meets with Alliance For Change and presents final elections report

The Alliance For Change (AFC) recently held meaningful discussions with representatives of the Carter Centre, who presented the party with a copy of their final report on Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections. The meeting focused on the state of electoral administration in Guyana, the urgent need for reform, and the importance of strengthening democratic institutions ahead of future elections.

The Carter Centre team was represented by Country Director for Guyana, Jason Calder, and Brett Lacy. The AFC delegation included Acting Leader David Patterson, Vice Chairman Michael Carrington, and Executive members Cathy Hughes, Nicola Trotman, and Diana Rajcumar.

During the meeting, the Carter Centre presented a summary of its report and indicated that it highlights both where Guyana stands and where the country should be in strengthening its electoral systems. Much of the AFC’s contribution centered on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the urgent need to implement long-discussed reforms.

The AFC raised concerns about GECOM’s current state, noting that the Commission has not met since September 2025. The party also indicated that Local Government Elections would not be possible unless a full Commission is in place and actively meeting.

The party further reiterated that, while GECOM’s operations were not at their lowest level, several deficiencies remained unresolved. These included the failure to address voting arrangements for Guyanese oil and gas workers, the decision to provide only two printed copies of the voters list to the PPP and APNU while excluding other contesting political parties, and the disorganised system for facilitating access to polling stations on Election Day.

Both delegations also discussed broader democratic reform issues. The Carter Centre and the AFC lamented the dormant state of civil society in Guyana, whose advocacy has dwindled over the years. They agreed that constitutional reform and campaign financing require urgent attention. The AFC, however, expressed concern that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) appears to have little genuine interest in these areas and is merely going through the motions to appease the international community.

Other concerns raised by the AFC included the perennial issue of limited access by opposition political parties to state media and media houses aligned with the PPP. The AFC also observed that the Carter Centre report was silent on the PPP’s alleged use of data collected during the cash grant process to contact voters. The Carter Centre indicated that this was an oversight, as it had witnessed such activities firsthand.

The Alliance For Change reaffirmed that it has enjoyed a strong and productive working relationship with the Carter Centre for decades and values the Centre’s positive contributions to improving election systems and processes in Guyana. The party reiterated its support for continued engagement with the Carter Centre and for a meaningful constitutional reform process in Guyana.