May 07, 2020 News
As the recount of ballots from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections gets underway several top western diplomats issued a call for the process to be fully transparent.
The diplomats include Ambassador of the United States of America, Sarah-Ann Lynch, British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee, Ambassador of the European Union, Fernando Ponz-Canto and Secretary General of the Commonwealth States, Patricia Scotland.They issued a joint statement in which they welcomed the decision to finally commence the recount process.The statement said “The results of these elections are long overdue, and it is incumbent on all to do what they can to ensure the democratic choice of the people is heard and acted upon.”
“Full transparency of the recount process is, however, vital to ensure it is credible,” the diplomats noted.While they welcomed the CARICOM scrutinizing team, the diplomats expressed disappointment that a wider range of international observers were not present for the recount.“We welcome the role of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) although we regret that it has not been possible for a broader range of international observers to be present at the start of the process. We do, however, welcome the decision to allow live-streaming and urge that this be used to the maximum extent possible.”
Further, the diplomats from the ABCE countries urged the swift, credible and transparent conclusion of the recount to focus on the threat posed by COVID-19 and the development needs of Guyana.
Similar sentiments were conveyed by Secretary General of the Commonwealth States.
“Full transparency and adherence to the rule of law is vital to the credibility of the electoral process,” Scotland said.
“The Commonwealth continues to support the process through its Senior Electoral Adviser to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).”