Elections must not be about hate or division; it must be about competition of vision, track-record – Pres. Ali

With General and Regional Elections in Guyana set for September 1 – approximately three months away – President Dr Irfaan Ali has emphasised that this season should not be able hate or division.

Ali – who will be vying for a second term as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) – asserted that elections time should be able competition of ideas and track-record.

“Elections must not be about two or more sides; it must be about the Guyanese people peacefully making their choice. It must not be about hate, division and indignity, it must be about performance, competition of ideas and vision. It must be about track record, not empty rhetoric,” the Guyanese leader expressed.

The President was at the time speaking during the flag raising ceremony in observance of Guyana’s 59^th independence anniversary on Sunday – where he also made the announcement of elections day.

“These elections must be marked with love, unity, strength of character, dignity and after the ballots are cast and the results are announced, it must be about one government, governing for One Guyana,” he further emphasised.

Additionally, during this elections season, President Ali urged citizens to “reject the voices that divide” and to also stand firm in the defence of democracy.

“We must show through our words, our actions, and our votes that the democratic spirit of Guyana is not only alive, but strong, unshakable and irreversible,” he contended.

General and Regional Elections were last held in Guyana on March 2, 2020 but it was marred by attempts by certain officials to undermine the will of the people and a refusal by the then David Granger-led APNU+AFC government to step down.

After almost five months of legal and other battles and the announcement of US sanctions against certain officials who played a role in the undermining of democracy, then President Granger finally conceded defeat and President Ali was sworn in on August 2, 2025.

Meanwhile, those who are alleged to have participated in the attempts to derail the elections as currently before the courts on electoral fraud charges.

Among them are senior electoral officials at the time: former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and his deputy, Roxanne Myers as well as Deputy Returning Officer for Region Four Clairmont Mingo.

Volda Lawrence – a minister of the then government who also served as a party agent at the 2020 polls – is also on trial.