GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Ambassadors and High Commissioners from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, and France met with the leadership of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Thursday to discuss the country’s electoral processes and institutional reforms. The diplomatic delegation included U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot, British High Commissioner Joe Fisher, Canadian High Commissioner Deborah Gomes-Schultz, EU Ambassador Luca Pierantoni, and French Ambassador Olivier Plançon. According to the Delegation of the European Union, the meeting focused on GECOM’s progress in addressing recommendations from observer missions following the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, as well as preparations for upcoming Local Government Elections. The meeting occurred amid a prolonged operational deadlock at GECOM. Following the 2025 elections, the commission has struggled to convene, with Chairperson Claudette Singh stating that the body cannot proceed until it is reconstituted to reflect the current political landscape. The impasse centers on the appointment of opposition commissioners. On June 30, 2026, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed formally recommended Roysdale Forde, S.C., Siand Dhurjon, and Damien Da Silva as his nominees for the commission. Despite a follow-up letter sent on August 7, 2026, President Irfaan Ali has yet to provide a substantive response to these recommendations. Currently, the three opposition seats on the commission remain occupied by nominees from the previous opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC). Ambassador Theriot recently emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that the current standstill prevents the commission from functioning effectively and could hinder the execution of future regional and local elections. The diplomatic community has been in contact with the political party “We Invest in Nationhood” (WIN), which has raised formal concerns regarding the commission’s composition. In August 2026, the Carter Center publicly urged a resolution to the deadlock, warning that a non-functioning commission risks failing to meet statutory deadlines for local government elections and delaying necessary electoral reforms. Operational challenges are further complicated by a dispute regarding political field scrutineers. WIN has reported that all 69 scrutineers currently paid by GECOM on behalf of the opposition are affiliated with the APNU+AFC, rather than the current parliamentary opposition parties, WIN and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM). In response, GECOM issued a clarification stating that it continues to honor an existing payment arrangement for the 69 scrutineers appointed by the APNU+AFC, while noting that this does not constitute a formal determination regarding the representation rights of other parties.
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