THE Inter-Religions Organisation has written to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission expressing its concern with a reported endorsement of a presidential candidate by the Guyana Public Service Union when that body has been accredited with being an observer for the upcoming elections on November 28. “The Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) has noted the reported endorsement of Mr. David Granger, APNU’s Presidential Candidate at the 2011 general and regional elections, by Deborah Murphy, General Secretary of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

“This endorsement was reportedly made at the Union’s Nineteenth Biennial Delegates’ Conference which was held at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday September 28, 2011, and was published in the Kaieteur News of Saturday, October 1, 2011. Ms. Murphy is reported to have recognized Mr. Granger as ‘our David Granger,” the letter said.

The letter said that the IRO, in its consideration of this matter at its monthly meeting held on Wednesday October 5, 2011, focused on the GPSU’s recent accreditation as a Domestic Observer Group to monitor the upcoming Elections.

“Accordingly, we took note of the following provisions which are enshrined in the terms of reference for local observers that is published on the GECOM website i.e. that local observers agree to:-

* Refrain from any action which indicates, or is capable of being seen as indicating, partisan support for any candidate, political party, political actor or tendency;

* Refrain from expressing views on subjects which are likely to be issues at the election, and in particular refrain from communicating with voters on matters of partisan significance;

* Refrain from taking part in functions or activities which could lead to perceptions of sympathy for a particular candidate, political party, political actor or tendency, for example, visits to military installations, or visits to official ceremonies sponsored by political parties.

“At the end of our deliberations, we have concluded that, undoubtedly, the GPSU has demonstrated a clear partiality in favour of a major contestant in the elections i.e. the APNU, and in so doing has knowingly breached the above principles, and has given indisputable grounds for the union’s accreditation as a domestic observer for the upcoming elections to be rescinded,” the IRO’s letter stated.

The IRO said it has established that the GPSU “cannot imbue confidence across the nation that it will carry out its responsibilities as a local observer with impartiality.” It noted that this could have deleterious impacts on the actual conduct of the elections on polling day and the outcomes thereof.

The letter stated, “Considering the implications which could derive from such a situation, we call upon the Guyana Elections Commission to rescind the accreditation of the GPSU as a domestic observer.”
The IRO said that it is convinced that this is a necessary precondition to the conduct of the upcoming elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner, especially in the immediate post election period.