“Your service made the people’s choice possible; democracy visible” – Pres Ali to Joint Services

…hails Disciplined Services for election security

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Thursday hailed the country’s Joint Services for their discipline, vigilance, and professionalism during the 2025 General and Regional Elections, declaring that their service “made the people’s choice possible” and ensured that “democracy was visible.”
The Head of State was delivering remarks at the Operation PLEXUS After Action Review (AAR), where officers and ranks were formally honoured for their role in maintaining law and order during the elections. The ceremony included the conferral of the Joint Services Medal Class E on members of the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, and Guyana Prison Service.

The citation for the medals was signed by Brigadier Omar Khan, Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman of the Joint Services Coordinating Council, recognising the ranks for “meritorious and dedicated service in support of the maintenance of law and order in Guyana during Operation PLEXUS-2025-01.”
“We live in a region where we face claims that challenge our territorial integrity and threaten our national patrimony. It is therefore imperative that the world see us as a people, united, capable of conducting our affairs with dignity and order. When our elections are peaceful, when our democracy is secure, our case for sovereignty is strengthened. The stronger our peace, the firmer our borders, the deeper our unity, the higher our defence. Stability at home ensures that our joint services can focus their energy on the twin tasks of security and sovereignty. A country that is peaceful within is formidable. The work you did on Election Day was not only about that day. It was about ensuring that Guyana presents itself to the world as a stable, credible, and mature democracy,” the President said.

Safeguarding democracy and sovereignty
The President underscored that stability at home was critical to strengthening Guyana’s sovereignty and international standing. He noted that peaceful elections reinforce the country’s image as a mature democracy, especially at a time when territorial claims threaten Guyana’s borders.
“When our elections are peaceful, when our democracy is secure, our case for sovereignty is strengthened. The stronger our peace, the firmer our borders, the deeper our unity, the higher our defence,” he affirmed.
Ali also reminded the gathering that elections often stir passion and division but credited the Disciplined Services with ensuring that such tensions never spiralled into disorder.
While acknowledging the long hours, difficult conditions, and personal sacrifices made by officers and ranks, President Ali emphasised that the nation owed them not only gratitude but tangible support.
“To the people of Guyana, let us take a lesson from this moment. The peace we enjoyed was not automatic. It was secured. The order we experienced was not natural. It was protected. The democracy we celebrated was not guaranteed. It was defended. And those who secured, protected, and defended it were the men and women of the Joint Services; they were part of that collective. You owe them not just thanks, but respect,” he added.