Caricom Secretary-General highlights Caricom’s readiness to support members during respective 2025 General Elections

CaricomSecretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, on Wednesday, underscored the Caribbean Community’s continued commitment to ensuring the integrity and transparency of general elections across the region, with several Caricommember states, including Guyana, scheduled to head for the polls this year for general elections.
Dr Barnett made the remarks as she delivered an address, at the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricomin Bridgetown, Barbados.
Dr Barnett celebrated the region’s strong democratic tradition and emphasised Caricom’s critical role in supporting good governance practices, including providing electoral monitoring and assistance. “Caricom’s exemplary and enviable tradition of democracy will be in full evidence throughout this year when at least eight of our member states and some associate member states are expected to go to the polls for general elections,” Dr Barnett said.

“Strong governance under the rule of law, by which Caricommember states operate, must be protected, and when this is threatened, Caricom’s good offices process is available to assist and ensure that good governance practices prevail.”
The Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections will be of particular significance, given Guyana’s contentious electoral process in 2020. Caricom’s role in Guyana’s 2020 elections has left a lasting impact, with the country now looking forward to the community’s involvement in the 2025 polls.
In 2020, the support provided by Caricomhelped restore confidence in the electoral process, and the region’s involvement in 2025 is expected to further strengthen Guyana’s democracy and reinforce the country’s commitment to good governance.
In 2020, Guyana’s general election, held on March 2, faced severe delays in the declaration of results due to multiple disputes and attempts by the then APNU/AFC government and several actors to declare fraudulent results. A CaricomObserver Team was dispatched to oversee the recount process, which ultimately contributed to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
The team, led by Ms Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and supported by electoral experts from across the region, worked tirelessly to ensure that the recount was transparent, fair, and consistent with democratic norms. Their efforts culminated in the official declaration of the election results on August 2, 2020, after five months of uncertainty.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) was declared as the official winner of the elections and President Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s 10th President.