(Commonwealth)_ Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon. Shirley Botchwey stated that the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) would be sent to monitor Guyana’s 1 September 2025 general and regional elections. The action is a sign of the Commonwealth’s ongoing efforts at promoting more democracy, good governance, and free and fair electoral processes in member states.
Hon. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, a retired Foreign Affairs Minister from Tonga, will lead the Observer Group. The observers are eminent Commonwealth citizens with diverse professional backgrounds in law, election administration, diplomacy, human rights, civil society, politics, and the media. Collectively, their experience should then offer a balanced and informed assessment of Guyana’s electoral process.
The role of the Commonwealth Observer Group is to examine all those elements that would invalidate the elections. The role will determine whether the electoral process maintains democratic standards to which the Commonwealth is committed for all members. The mission will take particular notice of provisions within the Commonwealth Charter, Guyana‘s national law, and other relevant regional and international obligations.
The mission will also examine the general climate under which elections take place. These are the effectiveness of election administration, integrity of the electoral process, openness of civic participation, fairness of campaigns, and civil society relations with media. The observers will also observe voter education and the public’s accessibility to the process for all citizens, as well as complaint or grievance procedures.
The Commonwealth Observer Group will be impartial and independent. It will observe and report but not intervene. At the end of its mandate, the group will submit a report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The report will be presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General and then published to the Government of Guyana, Elections Commission, political parties, and all member states of the Commonwealth. The recommendation is to lighten the load in constructing more efficient electoral institutions and processes in Guyana, not just for this election, but for the medium and long term.
The Observer Group’s deployment is entirely in the pursuit of the Commonwealth’s goal to advance democratic government across all 56 member states. Through impartial observation and constructive criticism, the Commonwealth inspires confidence and trust in the electoral process and provokes improvements grounded in best international practices.
The mission will be in Guyana from 25 August to 7 September 2025. This will give the observers a chance to observe the pre-election atmosphere, election day and conduct of the elections, and the post-election atmosphere shortly after. To get a full view of the electoral process, the observers will meet with the electoral institutions, political parties, civil society, the media, and the voters.
They will be joined by a six-member Secretariat delegation of the Commonwealth Secretariat headed by Linford Andrews, Adviser and Head of the Electoral Support Section of the Governance and Peace Directorate. The Secretariat delegation will facilitate the pre-preparation of the observers before their work and aid in the final report’s preparation.
Guyana’s elections have been viewed as a significant step in Guyana’s democratization. The deployment of objective Commonwealth observers serves as a guarantor to stakeholders and voters, promoting credibility and transparency. The Observer Group report and statements will not only examine the 2025 elections but also strive to consolidate democratic rule in the long term.
Commonwealth action is merely a continuation of an incredibly long record of member state interference in the electoral process. By the deployment of observer missions, the institution is asserting itstransparency, accountability, and people’s participation. The Guyana mission is upholding the tradition and showcasing its dedication to promoting democratic values during the election process.
