GEORGETOWN — APNU Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan is challenging the credibility of a recent United Nations Development Programme statement praising the 2025 General and Regional Elections, arguing that the UN agency’s assessment does not reflect what Guyanese actually experienced at the polls.
In a sharply worded video message, Duncan said the UNDP’s claim that the elections were “strengthened” by a “comprehensive communication strategy” could not be further from the truth felt by journalists, voters, and political stakeholders who endured information blackouts, late responses, and what he described as “one of the weakest public-communication efforts in GECOM’s modern history.”
Duncan pointed out that the Guyana Elections Commission held fewer than five press conferences throughout the entire election period. None were livestreamed by the Commission itself, limiting access for the public and for media outside the capital. He said journalists repeatedly accused the GECOM Chair of dodging critical questions, while key concerns raised during stakeholder engagements in June 2025 were left hanging without resolution.
He stressed that these are not political talking points, but documented shortcomings, many of which were flagged in the European Union Election Observation Mission’s Final Report, including reduced transparency and major information gaps. Yet, these findings were noticeably absent from the UNDP’s glowing review.
“Guyanese deserve truth, not PR,” Duncan declared, insisting that when communication fails, trust in the electoral system is the first casualty. To ensure accountability, the MP said he intends to press the Government to lay several documents in the National Assembly, including GECOM’s full communication strategy, crisis-communication protocol, branding manual, commission minutes, and any evaluation report tied to the 2025 polls. “Oversight is not optional,” Duncan argued. “International statements must reflect the lived reality of the Guyanese people, not a picture painted for diplomatic comfort.”
