The Carter Center has released its final report of the 2025 General and Regional Elections in Guyana, noting the need for constitutional and electoral reform.

The Carter Center said reform should be done in advance of future elections to address important gaps and better align the country with international standards for democratic elections, including the introduction of legislation regarding party and campaign finance; the prohibition of misuse of state resources, media access and oversight during the election period; and the registration and operation of political parties.

The Carter Center noted that during its observation of the elections in Guyana, it raised concerns about the use of state resources and noted that the ruling party appeared to benefit from biased state media coverage, undermining equitable treatment of candidates.

It said only four of the six political parties contesting the elections signed a political party code of conduct, adding that while campaigning was generally peaceful, several issues arose that risked undermining political participation, including the over-compliance of local banks with U.S. sanctions that affected one political party.

In addition, the Carter Center said campaign finance lacked transparency.

On election day, the observer team noted that  all polling stations visited by Carter Center observers opened on time in a calm atmosphere, with some voters queued in long lines to cast their votes.

Carter Center observers rated the conduct of procedures positively at every station visited, with no significant irregularities reported. It said overall, the legislative changes made to the tabulation process were positive and contributed to a more efficient and transparent tabulation process that better ensures that the announced results reflect the will of the people as expressed on election day.

The Chairman of The Carter Center, Jason Carter noted in the final report that several key issues negatively impacted public confidence in the 2025 elections, including questions about campaign financing and spending.

He noted that with windfall oil revenues, it is imperative that Guyana modernizes its its campaign finance laws and regulations to draw a clearer line between the incumbent party and state expenditures and bring more transparency to campaign donations.

Mr. Carter said with many lingering questions about the voters’ list, he would recommend that an independent audit of the list be done well in advance of the next elections.

He also noted that the politically divided composition of the Guyana Elections Commission remains a significant challenge to elections in Guyana.

The Carter Center has recommended the reconstitution of the Constitutional Reform Commission to mirror the new political reality in Guyana, and it wants the Commission to focus on electoral reform as part of its work.

According to the Carter Center, the 2025 elections saw a 5% decline in the voter turnout when compared to the previous elections in 2020, and although the voters’ list was much larger.

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