Pres Ali signs proclamations officially dissolving 12th Parliament, RDCs

…says “free and fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy”

In a move that signals the official start of Guyana’s 2025 Regional and General Election season, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday afternoon signed two proclamations to dissolve the 12th Parliament and Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) across all 10 administrative regions, in keeping with constitutional provisions.

The proclamations also formally designate September 1, 2025 as Election Day — when Guyanese citizens will head to the polls to elect a new government and regional representatives.
“Free and fair elections are the lifeblood of a democratic state. The upcoming elections represent our country’s commitment to renewing the democratic covenant between its citizens and Government. Elections provide the opportunity for citizens to exercise their democratic right to elect their President and Representatives of the National Assembly. I urge all eligible Guyanese to participate in the upcoming elections, and in so doing, be part of this critical decision-making process of the state,” the Guyanese leader said via live broadcast.
In accordance with Article 72 of the Constitution, Proclamation No 1 of 2025 officially dissolves the 12th Parliament. Meanwhile, under Article 73-2, the RDCs have also been dissolved, clearing the way for regional contests across Guyana.
The President reaffirmed his full confidence in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to conduct transparent and credible elections and called on the public to lend their support to the Commission’s work in the coming months.
“The task of administering the forthcoming elections rests with the Guyana Elections Commission, and I remain confident in its ability to hold free, fair and credible elections. I urge all Guyanese to support the work of GECOM,” he said.

Countdown 2025
With the signing of these proclamations, the political spotlight now shifts to the campaign trail as parties begin to roll out manifestos and mobilise support.
The 2025 elections are expected to be some of the most closely watched in Guyana’s recent history, occurring against a backdrop of economic transformation, growing global interest in the country’s energy sector, and increasing calls for inclusive governance.
The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is gearing up to formally launch its campaign this month for the upcoming 2025 General and Regional Elections.
According to PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, vetting is ongoing for candidates to be included in the backers’ list, which will be in compliance with GECOM’s prescribed form, which has a declaration at the top to indicate that persons are knowingly and willingly signing to support a particular political party.
Jagdeo called on the Elections Commission to ensure that all political parties utilise these designated forms to enlist nominators/backers for the upcoming elections.
He had last week alleged that “some people are paying to get backers, and some are being misled, and they [are] not showing people the form”.
“I hope GECOM will rigidly enforce that the appropriate form is used, because in the past…they will go with a blank sheet and get people to sign off, and then they will add a covering letter, and many of those people never even knew they were supporting a list of candidates for a particular party; they may not even support that party,” the PPP General Secretary added.
On July 14, Nominations Day, parties will be required to submit their approved symbols and their Lists of Candidates: one National Top-Up List, at least six Geographical Constituencies’ Lists, and the Regional Democratic Councils’ Lists.
The National Top-Up list, which identifies the presidential candidate, must have at least 42 candidates and between 300 and 330 nominators countrywide. Each geographical constituency list must have between 150 and 175 nominators from each geographical constituency.

Party symbols
On Tuesday, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officially approved some 19 political party symbols for the upcoming 2025 Regional and General Elections.
3 additional symbols were approved on the condition that minor changes would be made.
Guyana Times understands that GECOM will be engaging directly with those parties to address the necessary adjustments. In a statement, the electoral body clarified that the “final approval of the remaining three (3) symbols would be subject to minor modifications, the nature of which is in the process of being communicated to them. Importantly, GECOM takes this opportunity to clarify that although twenty-four (24) symbols were initially submitted to the Commission, two of those political parties have since joined the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), resulting in the symbols being included within the Partnership”.