With the unlikelihood of Local Government Elections taking place before the end of the this year and concerns about the Guyana Elections Commission not meeting in over a year, the Diplomatic Representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union met with the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Claudette Singh and Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud on Thursday.

The meeting was held at the request of the foreign diplomats. According to a brief statement released by the Diplomats, the meeting was constructive and informative. They said it covered discussion on Guyana’s electoral process, including the Commission’s consideration of recommendations from observer missions of the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, as well as ongoing efforts and priorities to strengthen electoral processes and institutions, also in view of the next local elections.

The other members of the Guyana Elections Commission were not part of the meeting. The Guyana Elections Commission is made up of seven members. The Chairman of the Commission has not called a meeting of the Commission in over a year, since the last national elections in September 2025.

The Elections Commission has also been without a Deputy Chief Elections Officer for several months.

There have been growing calls for a complete reform of the Guyana Elections Commission. Many of the foreign observers of the last elections made calls for a reform of GECOM, with many of them following up on their calls for their recommendations to be taken on board by the Commission.

Just after the last elections, which saw the We Invest in Nationhood party emerging as the largest opposition party in the National Assembly, the party has been calling for the three GECOM Commissioners nominated by previous Opposition Leaders to resign or to be removed. However, the Commissioners have objected and have repeatedly stated that while they were nominated by previous Opposition Leaders, their post is constitutional.

The Opposition Leader has even submitted his own Attorneys as nominees for position of GECOM Opposition nominated Commissioners. The President has ignored his requests for them to be appointed.

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