EU Election Observers Begin Full Deployment Across Guyana Ahead of September 1 Polls
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Georgetown, Guyana – The European Union (EU) Election Observer Mission has begun full deployment across all ten administrative regions of Guyana as the country heads into its September 1 general and regional elections.
The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Observer, FA Angelova, during a press briefing on Wednesday, where she outlined the mission’s goals to deliver an independent, neutral, and fact-based assessment of the electoral process.
“Our long-term observers will stay in various locations to monitor not only the lead-up to election day but also post-election developments,” Angelova stated.
The mission aims to conduct a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the electoral process—from preparations and campaigning, to voting, ballot counting, and tabulation of results. 20 short-term observers will strengthen the observation team as election day nears.
Engaging Key Stakeholders Across Guyana
According to Angelova, each EU observer team will meet with voters, electoral officials, political parties, civil society groups, and media representatives in their assigned regions.
Before deployment, all observers received in-depth briefings covering the political and legal framework, electoral laws, media landscape, and social context specific to Guyana.
This year’s EU mission builds on the groundwork laid during the controversial 2020 elections, after which the EU issued 26 recommendations aimed at strengthening Guyana’s electoral system.
When pressed by HGP Nightly News for an update on the implementation of those recommendations, Angelova declined to comment, citing the short time the core team had been on the ground.
“We’ve only just started our full-scale deployment,” she noted. “It’s too early to make any formal assessments.”
Transparency and Reporting
The EU mission has committed to releasing a preliminary statement two days after the elections, followed by a comprehensive final report once the process concludes. The final report will include updated recommendations to improve future elections in Guyana.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved six political parties to contest the upcoming polls. The elected government will serve for the next five-year term.
As Guyana braces for a high-stakes election, the presence of the EU observers adds an important layer of international scrutiny, ensuring that the process remains transparent, inclusive, and credible.
