2025-12-13

Candidates who registered by December 15 must immediately demand written CEP confirmation specifying registration is for August 30, 2026 election with legal citations establishing constitutional basis to prevent future timeline disputes or candidacy challenges. The registration silence from major opposition creates strategic fork where participating candidates can position themselves as legitimate democratic actors engaging transition process while boycotting parties risk political irrelevance and exclusion from governance. The December 22 candidate list publication will define competitive landscape revealing whether elections feature genuine multi-party competition or reduced fields that undermine result credibility and provide grounds for challenging outcomes. The February 7 CPT mandate expiration provides leverage to demand constitutional guarantees and CARICOM-brokered extension frameworks before committing campaign resources to electoral process potentially occurring under illegitimate governmental authority. RECOMMENDED DECISION Form unified candidate coalition by December 14 to submit formal written demands to CEP requiring official confirmation of August 30 timeline with constitutional legal basis and written guarantees that registration completions will be honored under final calendar. Establish public criteria for continued participation setting December 22 candidate list as decision point for potential withdrawal if major parties boycotted or constitutional crisis remains unresolved. Engage CARICOM representatives immediately demanding mediation on February 7 constitutional deadline making clear candidates will not legitimize elections held under unconstitutional authority without international guarantees of governance continuity. Develop dual campaign strategies optimized for eight-month timeline with March 2026 official launch while maintaining flexibility to pivot to boycott position if electoral conditions deteriorate. Coordinate with international observer organizations to establish independent monitoring of CEP registration process and candidate list compilation ensuring transparency prevents manipulation. Demand CEP publish registration statistics by December 18 showing total candidate numbers by office and political party affiliations to enable public assessment of participation levels before final list publication. Diaspora