The Carter Center and the European Union (EU) Election Observer Missions (EOMs) are among international observers closely monitoring Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.
At the opening of poll, international observers could have been seen observing the process.
At the F.E Pollard Primary School in the country’s capital, the Leader of the Carter Center’s International Election Observation Mission, Jason Carter told reporters that the Center has approximately 40 observers spread across the country observing the elections.
“This morning we sent observers into the polling stations in every single region, and this evening we will have people in every single tabulation centre for the next couple of days. And so, we feel excellent about team,” Center told reporters.
The Center will make its preliminary findings known by September 3.
Carter said while observers are fanned out across the country, the Mission would not weigh in on the election until after the election has come to an end.
“We are not going to draw any conclusions of course until after the day is over, and then until after the tabulation process is complete…One of the things that is very important for us, we want to make sure that we are drawing conclusion on evidence and not based on rumors,” he said.
The Carter Center Election Observer Mission is coordinating with the other international observers on the ground to consolidate their efforts.
Ahead of today’s election, it engaged the six political parties contesting the elections, and other stakeholders critical to the process. The Carter Center, which has been observing elections in Guyana since 1992, has had a core team of electoral experts in Guyana since late June.
Over at the St. Gabriel’s Primary School, members of the EU Election Observer Mission were seen observing the voting process.
The EU EOM Chief Observer, Robert Biedron said the EU is fielding its largest Election Observer Mission to Guyana, and the observers, a total of 50, were closely monitoring the elections at the polling stations.
“We are gathering information, observing the elections and with this, we are present from the very early morning during these elections, witnessing not only the opening of polling stations across the regions but also we will be present during the whole process until the process ends,” Biedron told reporters.
He said that the Mission has set up a statistical hub in the city to receive information from across the 10 Regions to have them analyzed.
“While collecting this information, we are transmitting this information, we are transmitting our findings to our statistical hub, a special hub which we established here in Georgetown, where we gather all of the information. As you could imagine, with 50 observers who are very active observing these elections in many parts of Guyana, we collect a lot of information and this information is collected within our statistical hub here in Georgetown. This will give us a very clear picture about the voting process from all of the regions of the country,” he said.
He also noted that the Elections Mission will not weigh in on the election until September 3 when it will issue a preliminary report on the elections.
Biedron said that the EU EOM is in Guyana to observe the elections and will provide impartial factual reports, which will be of value to the country.
The Chief Observer stressed that the EU EOM will not interfere in the electoral process, as it has vowed to uphold international standards and obligations.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login