GECOM meets with United Nations elections experts -Luncheon says Cabinet briefed on mission’s objectives
THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues to strategically engage its international development partners in the lead-up to the General and Regional Elections. And on Tuesday, Chairman of the Commission, Dr Steve Surujbally, met with a delegation of elections experts from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss a number of issues pertaining to the effective and efficient management of the May 11 elections.The visit also represented an effort to ascertain key areas of possible United Nations electoral assistance. During the meeting, the team discussed the upcoming elections and the challenges the Commission may face in the successful delivery of polling in May. Some of the points discussed included results management, electoral disputes, party financing, gender, voter information, and campaign access to media, as well as the roles of international and national observer groups. GECOM also reportedly took the opportunity to highlight the Commission’s current state of preparation for the conduct of elections, and further highlighted several areas including the provision of consultancies, advisors, and experts – particularly in the area of Civic and Voter Education – in which there could be greater collaboration between the Commission and the UNDP. CABINET UPDATED Meanwhile, Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon, at his post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, disclosed that Cabinet has been updated by GECOM on the developments pertaining to its moves toward the hosting of the May 11 polls. “Cabinet was informed of the visit of the UN electoral needs assessment mission….Cabinet was also reminded that historically, the UN system would mount such missions in participating states, who will be entering into an electoral cycle,” he said. According to him, the UN Mission would “extensively and intensively” review the preparedness of GECOM to host the upcoming elections. “Free and fair elections would be one of the objectives that they would be ensuring…and of course working towards international standards would be part of their objectives,” he said. The UNDP representatives who met with GECOM included Policy Analyst–Election and Gender Governance and Peace-building, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, Ms. Lea Zori; and Electoral/Political Affairs Officer, Electoral Assistance Division, Department of Political Affairs, Mr. Richard Gee. The team of United Nations election experts, still in Georgetown, is expected to meet with other electoral stakeholders, including representatives of the electoral authorities, the government, political parties, and members of civil society. OBSERVERS WELCOMED Additionally, the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has commended GECOM on what it termed a “pro-democratic” move in welcoming international observers. “The party views this positive move as a step in the right direction towards free and fair elections,” said the PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee, yesterday. Also, the GECOM Chairman, in a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle , stated that once the invitations for international observers have been accepted, moves will be made to have these bodies accredited. Dr Surujbally disclosed that the regular international bodies that field delegations for the elections include the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). The GECOM Chairman added that the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has approached the Commission for accreditation. Also, the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) has indicated that it will be resuscitated with the intention of acting as another local observer. Dr Surujbally stressed that before any of these groups are accredited as observers of the May 11 General and Regional Elections, they have to sign on to “certain” protocols. He was emphatic that breach of these protocols would result in the offending group being dis-accredited. Come May 11, Guyana will head to early General and Regional Elections, just over three years since the November 2011 polls.
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