(Kaieteur News) – The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government of paying lip service to democracy, noting that its public celebration of free elections, an independent judiciary and a free press does not reflect the state of the country’s democratic institutions.
In a statement on Friday, APNU said the democratic rhetoric touted by the party clashes with its record in government.
The party said President Irfaan Ali and PPP/C General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo used the occasion of October 5 to praise free elections, a strong parliament, an independent judiciary and a free press. However, APNU said these pronouncements do not reflect the reality as the government continues to act in a dictatorial manner, undermining any semblance of democracy.
“Democracy cannot be speeches about 1992 while all the democratic institutions are being weakened or destroyed by the government,” the party said.
APNU pointed to irregular sittings of parliament since the September 2025 general and regional elections. It said democracy must be demonstrated through the effective functioning of institutions rather than public pronouncements.
It said the country’s democratic framework is being undermined by a weakened system of local government, a media environment tilted towards the incumbent, unresolved questions about the executive’s respect for judicial authority, and resistance or delays in adopting additional electoral safeguards. It argued that each of those failings undermines democratic accountability and that, collectively, they expose the gap between the PPP/C’s anniversary rhetoric and the standards expected of a genuinely democratic government.
The coalition called for a time-bound, inclusive programme of democratic reform, including the reconstitution and resourcing of the Local Government Commission and protection for municipalities and neighbourhood democratic councils against partisan interference. It also called for immediate amendments to electoral law to permit independently tested biometric voter verification, with firm safeguards against disenfranchisement.
APNU further called for stronger accountability and public reporting by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as well as the timely publication of polling-station results and audits. It also advocated enforceable campaign-finance and state-resource rules, fair access to state media, and government compliance with court orders. The party said these reforms must be developed through genuine consultation rather than presented as decisions already made.
“The people of Guyana must also change the manner in which they defend democracy. Private concern, occasional outrage and social-media complaints are not enough. Citizens, professional associations, workers, faith communities, young people, businesses, and civil society organisations must insist persistently on answers, legislative action, public hearings, independent monitoring and accountability between elections. They must defend the rights of political opponents as firmly as their own.
“The tenure of the Local Government Commission expired in April 2024. This body exists to provide independent oversight of staffing and related matters in local democratic organs. Its prolonged absence, together with longstanding complaints of central-government intrusion into the affairs of local government organs, represent the very opposite of empowering communities to govern themselves.”
“Local councils must not be treated as administrative branches of the governing party or punished because voters chose representatives from another party. The government must support their statutory authority, adequate financing and freedom to serve residents without political interference and discrimination,” the party added.
Observers from the European Union and the Commonwealth who examined the September 2025 elections reportedly found disproportionate coverage favouring the incumbent, bias in state media coverage, unequal access to campaign resources and insufficient campaign-finance safeguards. APNU said these factors contributed to an uneven playing field. In light of these findings, the party condemned what it described as the PPP/C’s effective dominance of state-funded political messaging and called for genuinely independent public media, fair access for competing parties, transparent allocation of government advertising and enforceable rules against the partisan use of public resources.
“When the high court ruled in the Guyana Teachers’ Union dispute in 2024, the government publicly attacked the judgment and pursued an appeal, which is its right. In 2025, the Guyana Teachers Union alerted that the Ministry of Education had failed to resume deductions and remittances of union dues following the court ruling. That situation calls for a clear public accounting of the orders in force and the government’s compliance. An appeal is a lawful right; ignoring a binding order is not. A government that praises judicial independence must show respect for it, particularly when judges rule against the executive,” APNU said.
The party reiterated its support for properly legislated biometric verification at polling stations as a safeguard against voter impersonation and a means of strengthening public trust. It said that implementing biometric verification alongside a clean voters’ list would go a long way towards promoting democracy in Guyana. However, the administration has resisted the proposed introduction of these measures, citing the risk of excluding eligible voters, even while expressing support in principle for improved biometric systems.
“The solution lies in implementing legislation, ensuring reliable equipment, accessible and acceptable procedures. This collection of solutions is not unique to Guyana and the unwillingness by the PPPC to implement them shows a persistent desire to continue their rigging of elections. The Commonwealth observers recommended addressing biometric registration and verification early in the next electoral cycle.
International partners may observe, advise, and lend support. But no foreign government, mission or organisation will rescue our democracy on our behalf. The lasting solution will come only from Guyanese who organise, advocate, vote, scrutinise public power and refuse to accept democratic decline as normal,” APNU added.
The party said the vote belongs to the people, the Constitution binds those in power, and democracy is a daily obligation. APNU called on all Guyanese to move from concern to consistent advocacy, urging them to “Demand democracy in practice, not merely in proclamation.”
Source: Kaieteur News
