2025 General and Regional Elections: No cost will be spared in safeguarding Guyana’s democracy – Pres Ali

As Guyana prepares for the 2025 General and Regional Elections, President Dr Irfaan Ali has underscored his Government’s commitment to ensuring a smooth and democratic electoral process.
Speaking at the 55th Republic Anniversary Flag Raising ceremony on Saturday, President Ali emphasised that no cost will be spared in safeguarding democracy, especially following the controversies surrounding the 2020 attempts to rig the election.
President Ali reassured the public that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is fully prepared to provide all resources that are necessary to guarantee the integrity of the elections.

“Our democracy this year will once again be on showcase, and be assured that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government, your Government, will do everything and spare no resources in ensuring a smooth process as the people of Guyana carry out their democratic will and carry out their democratic responsibility, as we will be celebrating democracy through elections this year,” he said.
The 2020 elections had left deep wounds on the nation’s electoral process after intense delays in result declarations, multiple disputes, and attempts by several political actors to manipulate the outcome.
This led to official election results not being announced until August 2, 2020, nearly five months after Election Day, leading to widespread criticism of the electoral process.
The PPP/C was ultimately declared the winner, and President Ali was sworn in as the nation’s 10th president. However, the post-election turmoil left many citizens questioning the future of democracy in Guyana.
In the wake of the 2020 election controversy, President Ali has said that his Government is determined to rebuild trust in the electoral system.
Nine individuals, including former GECOM staff, are currently facing charges related to electoral fraud committed during the 2020 elections. Among those charged are former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, and other former Guyana’s Elections Commission (GECOM) employees.
As part of the preparations for the upcoming elections, GECOM has been allocated $7.3 billion in the 2025 national budget to ensure the effective and transparent execution of the elections. This includes $193 million to train nearly 20,000 election polling day staff and $427.5 million for civic and voter education efforts aimed at engaging the public and reinforcing the significance of a fair electoral process.
The commission has also stated its readiness, although it is still awaiting an official date from President Ali to begin preparations. GECOM has expressed confidence in its ability to conduct the elections within the constitutional timeline, and in the meantime, preliminary activities such as recruitment and staff training are already underway. Recently, GECOM launched advertisements seeking applicants for polling day staff, with a deadline of March 30 for submissions.