…Western diplomats urge hearty, respectful competition
…applaud GECOM, political parties for smooth Nomination Day

THE heads of missions of the British High Commission, Embassy of the United States of America and the European Union have congratulated all those nominated for the general and regional elections on March 02, and also hailed the Guyana Elections Commission for a smooth and efficient process.

H.E. British High Commissioner Greg Quinn; Embassy of the United States of America, H.E. Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch; and the Delegation of the European Union, H.E. Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó, in a joint statement in offering congratulations, said during this election season, “we encourage all Guyanese and the leaders of Guyana’s political parties, civil society organisations, business chambers, the media, religious groups, and educational institutions to embrace the essence of unity and social cohesion as enshrined in Guyana’s constitution. We call on all parties to campaign in the spirit of hearty and respectful competition with the ultimate goal of ensuring free and fair elections which reflect the will of the majority of Guyanese. We also urge all parties to promote and support a peaceful and mature election campaign – one where everyone, regardless of political leanings, is able to express their views openly,” the diplomats said.

Following Friday’s event, the diplomats had told the Guyana Chronicle that democracy prevailed in Guyana as political parties, regardless of size or philosophy, were given an equal opportunity to present their lists of candidates for the upcoming polls.
Ambassador Lynch; Quinn; India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa; and Head of the European Union, Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó, were among the diplomats who were present at the Umana Yana as a total of 13 political parties presented their lists of candidates to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. “It was a peaceful celebration of democracy,” the Head of the European Union told the Guyana Chronicle as he offered his assessment of Nomination Day here in Guyana. He said the elections commission, as well as the political parties, ought to be congratulated for executing the process smoothly and incident-free. “I think it is also worthy to mention that all the parties participated in a very constructive way. It is a very important step for the elections in Guyana and of course crucial for Guyana and it is very encouraging to see the process smoothly executed,” Ambassador Cantó told this newspaper.

Like the EU Ambassador, the US Ambassador, who observed the entire process, said it was smoothly conducted. “I was here the whole time and it was terrific to see all of the parties present their information. It was a very fun afternoon in many ways, and very exciting to see everybody present their information to the GECOM officials,” Ambassador Lynch shared.
She added, “I really enjoyed the experience and I wish every party the best of luck in a rigorous, peaceful campaign.” The U.S Ambassador said, come March 02, she will be observing the elections along with the international and local observers. The U.S is providing GECOM with assistance in area of voters’ education ahead of the elections. “For the most part they are focused on voters’ education, and helping citizens understand rights and responsibilities of the poll workers as well as the voters. So we are very happy that we were asked to provide that assistance,” the U.S Ambassador said.

The British High Commissioner also deemed the nomination process a success. “I think it has gone very well. I think GECOM and all the parties should be congratulated for a very successful Nomination Day. I think now, the campaigning, the hard work, is going to begin and I look forward to a hard-fought campaign but a peaceful campaign and a respectful campaign and a campaign where everybody, regardless of their political view and political position, is able to express their views and their position,” High Commissioner Quinn told the Guyana Chronicle. He too will be observing the General and Regional Elections.
Added to the support given by the U.S, former Canadian Chief Electoral Officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, was retained by GECOM to provide technical support to the electoral body. According to the Elections Canada, Kingsley served as Chief Electoral Officer from 1990 to 2007. It was noted that during his term, he adopted a proactive role for his office, recommending and promoting key initiatives to make the electoral process more accessible. Two technical officers from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica are also here in Guyana providing assistance.