Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 09, 2015 News
Mere days after their arrival in Guyana, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Elections Observation Mission to Guyana has pronounced that impending Regional and General Elections will be “pretty competitive.”
In this vein, Earl Simpson, Head of the Mission told members of the media during a briefing at the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara yesterday that his team will over the next few days closely monitor what is happening in Guyana.
In two days, thousands of Guyanese will head to the polls to elect those they deem fit to govern the country, hopefully for the next five years.
Here by Presidential request to CARICOM, the Chief of Mission said his team of ten will be observing the process from May 6 to May 13. Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer in the Elections and Boundaries Department of Belize, is the Deputy Head of the mission.
Simpson, who is also Director of Elections of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, said he and Tamai arrived as an advanced team on May 6, last.
Since then, he said, they have paid a courtesy call on Head of State and current Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Donald Ramotar, and met with Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud and his senior officers.
The latter meeting, Simpson said, was to get an overview of the security situation in the country, and an assessment of the plans and strategies of the elections process, culminating in the conduct of the elections and the announcement of the results.
According to Simpson, they have had meetings and briefs with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the other Presidential candidates and their political parties, as well as the President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Human Rights Commission, Chairman of Private Sector Commission, the President of Guyana Trade Union Congress and the Guyana Council of Churches.
Simpson said that he was also slated to be part of meetings of all Chiefs of Mission of all observer groups present in Guyana.
According to the Chief of Mission, he has been charged by the CARICOM Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin La Rocque, to observe the elections process: including the campaign period, the opening of poll on elections day, the voting procedures during the course of the E-Day, the close of poll at the end of day, the counting of ballots, the preparation of statements of poll and transmission of the results to the returning officers and GECOM.
Simpson told media operatives that they are also here to observe the conduct of electoral officers and political stakeholders and the overall electoral environment. He said they are also here to observe and assess the outcome of elections and the immediate impact on the social and political environment.
The Head of Mission said after observing voting procedures and counting on polling day, they will compile a preliminary statement to be issued to the media on initial assessment of the process.
Media Operatives were told that a briefing session will be held with the team that observed elections in various districts, after which they will prepare a final report that will outline observations and assessment of the process.
It, Simpson said, will include recommendations where necessary. This will later be disseminated to the government, GECOM and leadership of all parties who participated in the elections.
Simpson said that observers will visit as many polling locations and stations to take a broad representative sample of the process as possible.
“In addition to the persons whom we have already met, we look forward to meeting with as many Guyanese as possible. We will cooperate closely with other international and local observer groups to ensure that we maximize our coverage. It is important to point out that we are committed to being neutral, impartial, objective and independent. Let me say clearly that we are unable to visit every polling station or to be present everywhere.”
The team, he said, comprises persons with vast electoral experience that spans elections administration and political presentation.
“Our varying experiences will no doubt allow us to provide meaningful insights into the electoral process. We are here to observe the process and form an impartial judgment on its credibility. We have no executive role,” Simpson said.
Pressed about their observations so far, through the media and otherwise, Simpson said “the sense is that it is going to be a pretty competitive elections and we will closely monitor what is happening, what is being said… but then whatever it is that is our conclusion will be included in our report that will be presented to the secretary general.”
Speaking on recommendations, Simpson said that those are made to the government and the Guyana Elections Commission
Though he noted that at the end of the meetings he will be able to better pronounce on the number of observers here in Guyana, Simpson said “…I am told that you have fairly large teams here. The Carter Center I am told has over 50 members and the intention of the meeting is to ensure that we cover as broad an area as possible, and not all of us to be covering the same area… and the spread across the country will provide us with a better perspective of the elections process on the day.”
He said that their mission is to look at the process and to see if the process is conducted according to rules, laws and regulations set out in the Constitution and Representation of People Act, and the procedures that govern elections coming from GECOM.
“We will observe to see if those are being followed and then we will make our comments and recommendations as we see it fit,” Simpson said.
Jagdeo giving Exxon 102 cent to collect 2 cent.
Apr 25, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – The French Diplomatic Office in Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association and UNICEF, hosted an exhibition on Tuesday evening at the...Kaieteur News – Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, persists in offering... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]