REPRESENTATIVES of the Commonwealth election observer mission met yesterday with the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally.Between the Commonwealth Group, the Carter Center and the Organisation of American States (OAS) over 100 persons are expected to be on the ground on May 11.
The OAS began its final deployment in Georgetown on Tuesday. The delegation, headed by the former Foreign Minister of Belize Lisa Shoman, who was designated by Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, comprises 23 observers from 13 countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States).
The first members of the mission arrived in Guyana on May 2, following a preliminary visit in mid-April to learn about preparations for the elections. The mission will focus its observation on electoral organisation, electoral-political financing and the equal participation of men and women in the electoral process. It will also gather information about the status of the recommendations made in the last OAS/EOM in 2011. This is the fifth time the OAS will be observing elections in Guyana.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), which have accepted Government’s invitation to act as electoral observers, are still to indicate the size of their contingents to GECOM.
Additionally, 10 local groups have been accredited by GECOM as local observers and include: the United States of America Embassy, the British High Commission, the Canadian High Commissions, the European Union (EU) country office, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Blue Caps, the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB).
All observers, local and foreign, will be required to sign onto certain protocols before they are accredited as observers.
Relative to foreign observers, the missions, according to the protocol, will be expected to adhere to more than 35 guidelines. In addition to the guidelines, the rights and privileges of accredited election observer groups are also outlined in the protocol. Similar rights and guidelines apply to local observer groups, which were detailed in a separate document seen by this newspaper.
Under the Election Law (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 2000, Section 20 states that: “The Commission may approve of local organisations observing the democratic process involved in any election provided such organisations fulfil such conditions as may be stipulated by the Commission.”
Both protocols, for foreign and local observer groups, state clearly that if GECOM considers that an observer group “wilfully, without restraint, overtly and/or with malice aforethought breached the modus operandi and protocols” outlined by the Commission, GECOM has the authority to and may rescind/withdraw its accreditation from the individual errant observer or even from the entire observer mission.
GECOM has established around 2,299 polling stations throughout the country for the May 11 General and Regional Elections.