GUYANA-Carter Center calls for an end to the deadlock in Guyana politics.

GEORGIA, CMC- The US-based Carter Center Wednesday called on Guyanese officials to implement the recommendations in its final report on the country’s 2025 General and Regional Elections.

In a statement, the Center, which has been observing elections in Guyana since 1992, said it is making the call following a series of stakeholder discussions in Georgetown, the Guyana capital, in June this year.

The Carter Center said it notes with “considerable concern” the current impasse surrounding the composition of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), adding that without a fully functioning commission, GECOM will be unable to organize local government elections by the statutory deadline this year.

It said it will also be unable to implement reforms to strengthen electoral processes in time for Guyana’s next General and Regional Elections.

The Center said, though, it welcomes the statement by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, following the elections, acknowledging the need to amend the Constitutional Reform Act (2022) to reflect the current configuration of parliamentary political parties.

The Center said it made this recommendation in its report and encourages the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform to take action “as quickly as possible”.

The Carter Center said it has long championed constitutional reform to ensure that Guyana’s electoral system and institutions better serve its people, adding, “It is critical that this process be appropriately inclusive and representative.”

It said that during the visit in June, the delegation was honoured to meet with President Irfaan Ali and members of his Cabinet, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and a broad range of stakeholders, including other opposition political parties, GECOM, the Constitutional Reform Commission, the Ethnic Relations Commission, leaders from the private sector and civil society, citizens interested in electoral reform, and members of the international community.

“These discussions provided an important opportunity to exchange views on strengthening and advancing Guyana’s democratic institutions,” it said, adding that the conversations focused on several priority areas identified in the Center’s final report, including reform of election management bodies, the development of comprehensive campaign finance legislation, efforts to improve the media environment, expanding civil society, and measures to enhance transparency and public confidence in the voters’ list.

“The Carter Center encourages the continued engagement of the many Guyanese stakeholders committed to advancing these recommendations and strengthening democratic governance,” the statement said, acknowledging that “this important work continues as the nation grieves over the sinking of the MV Barima” and the loss of 73 and more than 30 others missing and presumed dead.

“ The Carter Center extends its deepest sympathies to the Guyanese people and offers our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy. May the nation find comfort, strength, and unity as it honors those who perished” in the July 18 incident.