HGP Nightly News – Guyana’s growing oil wealth has made democratic reform more urgent, with the Carter Center warning that the country’s political and electoral systems must be strengthened if public confidence is to be protected.
In its final report on Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections, the Carter Center said the polls were held in a climate shaped by deep political division and low public trust. The report noted that the country’s expanding oil economy has increased the value of political power, placing greater pressure on institutions responsible for ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness.
The Center said several long-standing weaknesses continue to affect Guyana’s democratic system. These include the structure of the Guyana Elections Commission, the design of the electoral system, weak campaign finance rules, concerns about the voter list, and allegations of state resources being used during the campaign period.
One of the report’s strongest concerns related to GECOM. The Carter Center said the commission remains heavily politicised and continues to reflect Guyana’s wider political divisions. Instead of being viewed as a fully independent electoral body, GECOM remains caught in the same partisan tensions that shape much of the country’s politics.
The report also said the current electoral system contributes to a winner-take-all approach to government. According to the Center, this weakens representation and fuels ethnic polarization, making elections feel less like a democratic contest and more like a fight for total control of the state.
Campaign financing was another major concern. The Carter Center pointed to a lack of transparency in how political campaigns are funded, while also noting allegations about the misuse of state resources during the election campaign. It said these issues can damage public confidence, especially in a country where oil revenues have made the control of government more politically significant.
The media environment also came under scrutiny. The report noted claims that state media coverage favoured the ruling PPP/C, while opposition parties complained about limited or unequal access to state-owned media.
Beyond elections, the Carter Center raised wider concerns about civic space and political participation. It described Guyana’s civil society sector as weak and under-resourced, and said some organisations working with marginalized groups operated at times under fear of government retaliation.
The report also criticized laws that affect the LGBTI community, saying they hinder participation in public life. It further noted that women, Indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, and prisoners continue to face barriers to meaningful political participation.
For persons with disabilities, the report found that many polling stations remained inaccessible. It also said eligible prisoners were effectively disenfranchised because no voting procedures are in place for them.
Still, the Carter Center acknowledged improvements. It praised the peaceful conduct of election day and said the tabulation process was stronger than in 2020, when Guyana’s electoral process became deeply contested and public trust was badly damaged.
However, the Center made clear that peaceful voting and improved tabulation are not enough on their own. It said Guyana still needs major reforms to strengthen democratic confidence and ensure that elections are seen as fair, inclusive, and accountable.
Among the recommendations were constitutional reform, changes to GECOM’s structure, stronger campaign finance laws, greater media independence, reform of the electoral system, better protections for civil society, and an independent audit of the voter list.
The Carter Center urged Guyana’s leaders to use the constitutional reform process to build a democracy that is more inclusive, transparent, and accountable.
The central warning from the report is that Guyana’s economic growth must not move faster than its democratic safeguards. As oil wealth expands, the need for trusted institutions, fair elections, and strong public oversight becomes even more important.
