Elections 2025: Carter Centre observers already in Guyana ahead of Sept 1 polls
The Carter Centre has officially launched an international election observation mission to Guyana, ahead of the country’s general and regional elections scheduled for September 1, 2025.
File photo: Representatives from the Carter Centre who were in Guyana in June 2024, on a pre-election assessment mission, ahead of the 2025 Regional and General Election
The initiative follows a formal invitation extended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. A four-member core team of electoral experts from the United States (US), Georgia, and the United Kingdom (UK) is scheduled to begin arriving in Georgetown on 30 June. They will be joined by additional electoral specialists and short-term observers closer to election day.
“We look forward to engaging with Guyanese stakeholders across the political spectrum and civil society to provide an independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process,” said Jason Calder, Director of the Carter Centre’s Field Office. “We hope our observation and reporting will help the Guyanese people assess the credibility of the elections, while providing useful recommendations for reform and encouraging transparency.”
Director of the Carter Centre’s Democracy Programme, David Carroll emphasised the Centre’s continued commitment to democratic development in Guyana. “The Carter Centre has had a long-standing commitment to democracy in Guyana, and we are honoured to launch this international election observation mission in support of the electoral process,” Carroll stated.
The Carter Centre’s observation will be guided by the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and will assess the process in line with Guyana’s legal framework, as well as regional and international standards for democratic elections.
This marks the sixth time the Centre will be observing elections in Guyana, with prior missions conducted in 1992, 2001, 2006, 2015, and 2020. Over the years, the Carter Centre has played a critical role in promoting electoral integrity, transparency and peaceful political engagement in the country.
Beyond its electoral work, the Centre has been actively involved in various democratic development initiatives in Guyana. These include assisting in the formulation of a national development strategy, strengthening the judiciary in collaboration with legal institutions, supporting civil society organisations advocating for women, youth and Indigenous communities and facilitating dialogue for conflict resolution.
The Centre has also worked alongside Government, industry and civil society actors to support Guyana’s compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), aimed at enhancing accountability in the natural resources sector.
