The US Embassy in Georgetown on Sunday indicated that it requested permission via diplomatic note for Observers from the Carter Centre to return to Guyana for the recount on one of those special flights that have been coming in to fly out US citizens in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the special flights being operated by Eastern Airlines is expected to fly in to Guyana on Monday.
In a statement this afternoon, the US Embassy indicated that its request was made on the 29th April.
“These flights serve a dual purpose, with the inbound flight on May 4 carrying accredited international observer missions to Guyana for the recount process and the outbound flights serving to repatriate U.S. Nationals, Legal Permanent Residents and Third Country Nationals. The May 30 flight was requested to return the observers to the United States along with U.S. citizens, Legal Permanent Residents and Third Country Nationals who wish to return to or transit to their homes. The inbound flight request was made on behalf of the Carter Center and the International Republican Institute with reference to other observer missions that also may wish to avail themselves of the requested flights”, the Embassy noted.
The Embassy said it sent a copy of the diplomatic note to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority accompanied by a request to advance the issue to Guyana’s COVID-19 Task Force.
It noted that the diplomatic note referenced the observer’s intentions to comply with the COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures.
According to the Embassy, it was informed on Saturday that the incoming May 4 flight had been approved by the Task Force, but not the arrival of the observers.
The Embassy said it has since sought reconsideration of matter at the highest levels in recognition that the observer missions illustrate “the commitment of the caretaker government and the international community to a free, fair and transparent recount process”.
The Carter Centre on Saturday night tweeted that it is trying to get “an observer on a Monday flight to Georgetown to observe the recount but has so far been unsuccessful in getting approval from the government of Guyana”.
The Government of Guyana and the National COVID-19 Task Force have made no public response to the statement from the Carter Center.
However, the Private Sector Commission and the local UN Office have both issued calls that the permission be granted that would allow the return of the Carter Center team.
Guyana’s two international airports have been closed for over a month as part of the efforts to fight the coronavirus. While special permission has been granted for passenger flights to take US and Canadian citizens out, those flights usually operate based on the agreement that there are no incoming passengers.
Special approval was granted for a special chartered flight from Guyana to bring in the CARICOM high-level team that will be part of the recount process.
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