– ERC says in election observer report handed over to GECOM

ON November 27, 2025, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) formally handed over its

Elections Observation Report 2025 to the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission

(GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, at GECOM Headquarters in Georgetown.

The submission marked the conclusion of the commission’s accredited observation duties and

reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peaceful and inclusive democratic processes.

Representing the ERC during the handing over were its Chairman Shaikh Moeen-ul-Hack,

Deputy Chairman, Charles Ogle, Commissioners Neaz Subhan and Krishna Sharma and the Chief

Executive Officer, Ms. Gomin Camacho. Also, present from GECOM were the Chief Election

Officer, Mr. Vishnu Persaud.

The ERC’s Elections Observation Report revealed that the elections were conducted peacefully,

professionally, transparently and in a free and fair manner in accordance with national law. The

report also states that voters from all racial and ethnic groups were able to freely exercise their

franchise without intimidation, discrimination, or obstruction. While minor inconsistencies were

noted regarding the placement of ballot compartments and visibility of signage, they did not

compromise the integrity, professionalism or inclusiveness of the process.

According to the report, the campaign period for Elections 2025 was highly competitive, with

significantly less infractions as compared to the 2020 electoral cycle. It further highlighted that

Election Day, September 1, 2025, was observed as orderly, calm, and free of tension, allowing for voters to exercise their democratic rights without hindrance. The report also commended GECOM for effectively administering the electoral procedures professionally and in accordance with national electoral laws.

The ERC’s Investigative Unit recorded 29 cases during the 2025 election-monitoring period, as

compared to 124 cases in 2020. This decrease was attributed to several factors, including increased levels of transparency and efficiency by GECOM. Unlike the prolonged period in 2020, these improvements contributed significantly to a stable environment with fewer opportunities for ethnic tension or misinformation to escalate.

The report also stated that amendments to the Representation of the People Act, including the public posting of Statements of Poll (SOPs), electronically for public assessment after the close of Poll and stronger penalties for obstruction or interference with voting, added to existing measures to further enhance transparency, foster stability, and increase public confidence in the electoral process.

The ERC believes this contributed to the decline in ethnic tensions during the 2025 Elections.

The ERC also expressed appreciation to GECOM, the Guyana Police Force, political parties, party

agents, its accredited observers, constituency bodies and partner organisations. The Commission also thanked the Guyanese electorate for the very important role they played in ensuring that the electoral process, pre and post, was peaceful and reiterated its readiness to continue working collaboratively to ensure that future elections remain peaceful, harmonious, and reflective of the will all the people of Guyana.

The ERC’s Elections Observation Report 2025 is available on its website www.erc.org.gy (ERC)