Following an invitation by the Government of Guyana, the European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Guyana to observe the General and Regional Elections scheduled for 1 September 2025.
This marks a continuation of the EU’s longstanding engagement in supporting democratic processes in Guyana, reflecting its commitment to human rights, democracy, and credible elections worldwide.

The EU EOM’s mandate is to assess the 2025 elections in line with Guyana’s national legal framework, as well as with international and regional standards and commitments that the country has made regarding democratic elections.

The mission will deliver a fact-based, comprehensive, and impartial analysis of the entire electoral process, in line with the established EU election observation methodology.
 

Background to EU Election Observation

In accordance with the EU’s election observation methodology, observers do not interfere in the electoral process and do not have a mandate to correct or alter any shortcomings. All EU election observers adhere to a strict code of conduct and ethical guidelines that ensure their neutrality and impartiality.

The EU EOM operates in accordance with the ‘Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation’ endorsed under United Nations auspices in 2005, and now signed by more than 50 international organisations involved in election observation worldwide.

The role of the EU EOM is not to legitimise or validate the election process or its results. Instead, the mission’s mandate is to observe, collect, and analyse information about the electoral process and present its findings and conclusions transparently and independently.

The EU EOM operates independently from the EU Delegation to Guyana, EU Member States, and EU institutions.
 

Mission Structure

The EU EOM is led by Chief Observer, Mr. Robert BIEDROŃ, a Member of the European Parliament from Poland. The mission’s Core Team, composed of 9 election experts, arrived in Georgetown on 23 July.
They will be joined by 14 Long-term Observers (LTOs), who will be deployed across the country on 6 August to follow the electoral process in the pre-election period, including campaigning, electoral preparations, and the role of the media.

Closer to election day, the mission will be reinforced by 20 Short-term Observers (STOs) to observe voting, counting, and the tabulation of results at polling stations and collation centres.

The EU EOM will remain in Guyana to observe post-election developments, including the complaints and appeals processes. The mission will publish a Preliminary Statement two days after election day and present a Final Report, including recommendations for improving future electoral processes, once the entire electoral cycle has been completed.

The mission will assess all key aspects and stages of the electoral process, including:

  • the legal framework and its implementation
  • the performance of the election administration
  • the role of state institutions
  • voter registration processes
  • campaign activities and campaign finance
  • the overall environment, including respect for fundamental freedoms and political rights
  • the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities
  • the role and conduct of media, including online and social media
    the role of civil society
  • the voting, counting, and tabulation processes
  • the complaints and appeals mechanisms
  • the announcement and acceptance of the results