Dear Editor,
THE year 2025 was truly the year of peace, culminating in a tremendous success for the National and Regional Elections. For the first time in Guyana’s history, the political campaigns and post-election activities were smooth and entirely devoid of outlandish threats and violence. Across the country, Election Day was marked by peaceful and quiet proceedings. Significantly, Guyanese learned the results within twenty-four hours after polls closed, and the nation accepted the landslide victory of the PPP/C.
The preparation for the elections was extensive, guided by the necessary legal adjustments in the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA). The amendments to ROPA were passed by the National Assembly on June 2, 2025, specifically to strengthen the electoral system and prevent attempts to derail the election process. The reforms, tested for the first time in the 2025 elections, included new transparency measures such as real-time online publication of the Statements of Poll (SoPs) on receipt by designated returning officers.
The implementation of these changes by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and their overall legally-based conduct of the Elections is deserving of rich commendations. It is noteworthy that GECOM has been praised for delivering what the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) describes as one of the ‘most transparent, credible, and professionally managed elections in Guyana’s modern history.
It is also significant that in preparation for the 2025 National and Regional Elections, UNDP offered valuable human resources, professionals came into Guyana and worked thoroughly to prepare for the holding of free and fair elections.
The PPP/C Government, with a sincere concern for highly credible Elections, also provided all the necessary support for UNDP Experts and technical staff to work along with the GECOM secretariat in preparation for the 2025 Elections.
With the technical assistance from UNDP and funding support from the United Kingdom, GECOM was able to implement a series of reforms and develop a powerful system for a successful, orderly, and peaceful election.
The UNDP’s involvement in Guyana is part of its global expertise in supporting numerous countries around the world. Significantly, UNDP technical staff was able to guide, develop and prepare a full-proof communication system resulting in an effective and clear communications strategy; a branding manual along with the Crisis Communication Protocol, to ensure clearer, timelier and more consistent public information dissemination.
For the 2025 elections, a media code of conduct and a media policy were also introduced to guide responsible coverage of the electoral process. Highly successful was the training of more than 100 journalists on electoral law, procedures, and ethical reporting to strengthen accuracy and fairness in media coverage.
Additionally, civic and effective voter education campaigns were rolled out across the country. The voters’ education took into consideration our demographic and Geographic diversity, including youths, women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The PPP/C, as the incumbent, was very open and proud of its achievements. The explanation and talk of achievements and promises were open to verified information.
GECOM was able to train and prepare 13, 925 polling officials while the preparation of 2, 790 polling stations was securely procured, verified, and distributed under strict oversight by polling party agents. Election Day activities went smoothly because of GECOM’s thorough preparation. Further, the local and international observers were very visible. The polling agents must also be complemented. Mere words are not enough to praise all the highly responsible Guyanese who participated directly and indirectly in making sure that the “accurate Statements of Poll” were available in the most transparent way.
Today, as Guyanese prepare to celebrate a joyous Christmas, the nation welcomes PEACE! President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and the winning PPP/C must continue to make our Country the pride of the Caribbean.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar