The Carter Center, which is among the international observes in Guyana for September’s elections, in a pre-election report has expressed concern that local banks may be over-complying with U.S. sanctions with regard to the closure of accounts for candidates of the WIN party.

The Carter Center said it believes the move undermines political participation and electoral integrity by discouraging people from participating fully in the political process.

According to the Carter Center, the private sector has an important role to play in safeguarding democratic rights and freedoms and, as such, must ensure decisions do not discriminate against individuals for exercising those rights.

The Center noted that following approval of WIN’s list of candidates in July 2025, three local commercial banks reportedly closed the personal bank accounts of approximately 40 WIN candidates, party members, and their associates.

The Carter Center said although the banks have not provided a detailed public explanation of their actions, they are reportedly concerned about secondary sanctions and their banking relationships with the U.S. financial system.

It was noted that the Guyanese banking system operates within national laws and international regulatory standards to prevent the misuse of the international financial system.

The Carter Center said while it recognizes the banking sector’s caution, the relevant Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and OFAC standards and guidelines recommend a “risk-based” approach to such matters and discourages overcompliance with practices such as blanket account closures (“de-risking”).

“The relevant practice indicates that the risk of secondary sanctions arises when there is a prohibited transaction or other significant dealing with a sanctioned person. Mere political association, without evidence of such transactions or facilitation, does not constitute the proper basis for termination of accounts”, the Carter Center noted.

The Center also expressed concern that the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) presidential candidate has been denied interior airline service for campaign flights, and is also concerned about reports that the WIN party in some instances has been denied use of local public areas for campaign meetings.

“These campaign issues raise concerns about equal application of the rights of freedom of association”, the Center noted.

On the issue of misuse of State Resources and the State Media, the Carter Center said it has received multiple allegations from political parties and civil society that the ruling party has misused state resources. It noted that social media and news reports are also rife with photographs suggestive of the problem.

It was noted in the pre-election report that the use of state resources for party campaigning runs contrary to Guyana’s international obligations with respect to campaign finance. It also noted that it has received reports of biased reporting by state media, with one political party complaining about the state media’s refusal to carry its election ads.

The report noted too that official government statements about the opening of schools and other public buildings regularly feature public officials in full ruling-party regalia, blurring the line between the state and the party.

Additionally, it was noted that since July 30, the President has announced that he would promote over 2,800 Guyana Police Force officers and on Aug. 1, the government announced that bridge crossings would now be free.

According to the Carter Center, these and similar measures can be seen to afford the ruling party an unfair advantage, adding that while Guyana’s laws do not prohibit new government spending after an election is called, such spending runs contrary to international standards and best practices intended to ensure a level playing field.

The Center, however, noted that to date, the election campaign has proceeded in a generally peaceful manner with no major incidents of violence, although some confrontations at public meetings and overheated rhetoric have been reported.

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