By: Antonio Dey | HGPTV Nightly News|
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has formally endorsed a primary recommendation from the European Union Election Observer Mission (EU EOM) calling for the establishment of an independent oversight body for campaign finance in Guyana.
During a press briefing on Friday, APNU Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan said the proposal is timely and necessary, arguing that such an institution must include input from all stakeholders and must be insulated from political interference.
“The government must promptly update campaign finance laws within this framework,” Duncan stated. “This supervisory entity should not become another group for the PPP/C to fill with supporters, thus undermining the genuine purpose of its establishment.”
EU Findings Highlight Severe Media Imbalance
The EU Observer Mission reported that as much as 98% of election-related coverage on state-owned media was favourable to the ruling PPP/C. Duncan said the findings merely reinforce concerns long raised by APNU.
“Independent reporters encountered limitations, repercussions, and restricted access to official information,” he told reporters. “These results validate APNU’s awareness that the national communications landscape benefits the government and marginalises the opposition.”
Calling the imbalance “a propaganda barrage akin to Goebbels’ tactics,” Duncan said no public service broadcaster should produce election coverage so overwhelmingly skewed.
APNU Supports Overhaul of Media Oversight
Duncan said APNU supports the EU’s call for fair media access rules supervised by a reformed, independent Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA).
EU Report Confirms Long-Standing APNU Concerns
The parliamentarian emphasised that the EU EOM’s Final Report shows that Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections suffered from deep, systemic flaws—not isolated issues.
“The mission’s thorough evaluation of the ongoing structural weaknesses that consistently erode the credibility of elections in Guyana aligns with what APNU has consistently stated,” Duncan argued.
He added that APNU has long maintained that the current electoral framework “permits manipulation and does not ensure the conditions necessary for trustworthy elections.”
Duncan said a complete overhaul of the electoral system is necessary to restore public confidence and ensure fairness in future elections.
