With just weeks to go before Guyanese head to the polls, the head of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), Robert Biedroń, issued a pointed reminder: the eyes of the international community are on Guyana’s democratic process.
“We are here to contribute to transparency, and demonstrate that the world is watching these elections with respect and interest,” Biedroń said in a video message posted Sunday on the Mission’s official Facebook page. He is leading a 50-member team of international experts and observers conducting a full, independent, and impartial assessment of Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, scheduled for September 1.
The EU mission, invited by the Government of Guyana, will monitor the electoral process from start to finish. Observers have already been deployed across all ten administrative regions, meeting with political parties, civil society groups, electoral officials, and media representatives. Their work will include observing campaign activities, media coverage, polling day conduct, and the post-election environment.
“We have no stake in who wins,” Biedroń stated plainly. “Our only concern is that the whole process is inclusive and credible, and that every voter casts their ballot freely and with confidence.”
This election comes under heightened scrutiny given the memory of the 2020 electoral crisis, which was marred by a prolonged standoff, allegations of fraud, and international condemnation. That vote, called early after a no-confidence motion in 2018, resulted in months of political paralysis. A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) later found that senior officials at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had attempted to rig the results in favour of the then APNU+AFC coalition. Among those implicated were former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, and Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
The international fallout from 2020 still looms large. Several observer missions were either blocked or restricted, including the Carter Center, which has now been welcomed back for the 2025 polls. France’s Ambassador to Guyana and Suriname, Nicolas de Lacoste, recently echoed calls for peaceful elections. “That is all we wish for in Guyana,” he said, warning against a repeat of the “situation we had five years ago.”
The PPP/C government has pledged full transparency and openness to external oversight, pointing to the lessons learned from the past. For many voters, however, the presence of credible international observers is not only reassurance but a safeguard against potential manipulation.
The EU EOM’s final report, expected after the elections, will include key findings and recommendations aimed at strengthening Guyana’s electoral system. In the meantime, Biedroń offered a parting message to citizens: “We look forward to accompanying you, the people of Guyana, in this fantastic electoral journey.”
Whether the journey is smooth, or fraught with familiar tensions, remains to be seen. But this time, the world won’t be looking away.
