EU observer mission flags abuse of State resources by PPP/C Gov’t

Sep 04, 2025 News

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…says situation created uneven playing field during elections campaign

Kaieteur News – The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), in its preliminary report released on Wednesday, cited several irregularities in Guyana’s electoral process, stating that the undue advantages of incumbency created an uneven playing field during the campaign period.

While the EU EOM acknowledged that the campaign was inclusive and competitive, with six political parties registered nationwide and fundamental freedoms largely respected, it raised serious concerns about the ruling party’s use of State resources for political gain.

According to the mission, since President Irfaan Ali, also the presidential candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), announced the election date on September 1, the administration rapidly commissioned a series of public projects. These included hospitals, schools, roads, and bridges, as well as multiple social support initiatives, all of which were heavily promoted and integrated into the PPP/C’s campaign activities. “An undue advantage of incumbency distorted the playing field during the election campaign,” the report stated. “The President and his administration inaugurated a high number of public projects and launched several social support programmes, combining these events with campaign activities. At the same time, State media and government-run social media accounts were instrumentalised to amplify campaign messages, further blurring the line between State and party.”

Expanding on the concern over incumbency advantage, the EU observers noted that most of the inauguration events were dominated by PPP/C supporters dressed in party colours and symbols. The mission noted that events often featured campaign speeches urging voters to support the ruling party. Additionally, EU EOM stated that it observed that the beneficiaries of government social programmes reported receiving unsolicited phone calls encouraging them to vote for the PPP/C, raising concerns about the misuse of personal data. The mission highlighted that several social programmes were launched before the campaign period began, including an announcement on August 10 of mass promotions and bonuses for over 2,800 police officers, to which the mission stated, “the timing of which raised concerns.”

The report also pointed to instances of direct pressure on civil servants and part-time government employees, including cases of demotions and transfers following expressions of support for WIN candidates. “In this context, EU EOM observers received reports of voters refraining from openly supporting opposition parties fearing negative repercussions such as the loss of employment or social benefits. Campaign finance is largely unregulated leading to a lack of transparency and accountability,” the preliminary findings reported.
Furthermore, the EU EOM underscored the absence laws regarding the use of state funding for political campaigns, along with the lack of provisions to define acceptable sources and uses of funding, donations, or campaign expenditures. “There are no regulations to ensure a level playing field for neither campaigning, nor adequate rules to minimise the use of State resources to the advantage of incumbency,” the mission added. The campaign, according to the EU EOM, was also marked by widespread allegations of direct and indirect vote-buying, particularly targeting vulnerable communities, with accusations primarily directed at PPP/C and WIN candidates.

Media landscape

The EU EOM also noted that the media landscape in Guyana is highly politicised, with many outlets aligned with the government. This resulted in disproportionately favourable coverage for the ruling party. “Campaign coverage in broadcast and print media is largely unregulated, diminishing opportunities for voters’ access to pluralistic information.

Independent journalists were verbally attacked by high-ranking government officials and their followers at public events and harassed on social media for their professional stance and challenging questions,” the mission stated.

The preliminary report emphasised that while the campaign was described as largely peaceful, the weeks leading up to the elections were marked by increased tension and confrontational rhetoric, particularly among representatives of the PPP/C, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. The mission also stated that there were reports of altercations between party supporters and disruptions of campaign events. “Most candidates were able to campaign freely, although the EU EOM received reports from WIN representatives alleging, they were unfairly denied use of public venues in a few instances and hindered from campaigning in some ndigenous villages,” the mission noted.

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• Election Observation Mission, European Union

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