During a recent meeting with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), opposition parties emphasised the need for “a level playing field” in the upcoming elections campaign period.
As part of the preparatory phase of its upcoming Citizens Awareness Campaign, the GCCI on April 29 met with six political parties to solicit their support and hear their views on the initiative. The engagement took place on April 29, at Duke Lodge, and saw the attendance of the WPA, TUF, PNCR, AFC, JFAP and the (Guyana Peoples Partnership) GPP, the GCCI said in a statement yesterday. According to the statement, “Two critical issues that arose were transparency in the funding for all political parties and fair and equitable access to the state media. “
The Opposition parties suggested that the underlying causes of disenchantment that fuel people’s passion should be addressed to pave the way for fair and incident free elections. Suggestions were also made on what the GCCI’s role could be to ensure the electoral process is beyond reproach.
The meeting with the political parties was the second in a serious of stakeholder dialogues. The first meeting held on February 25, saw participation from members of civil society. Participants at the first forum included the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB), the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the United Nations Association of Guyana (UNAG).
At the end of consultations, the Chamber will review the recommendations of all stakeholders and prepare an action plan for its Citizen’s Awareness Campaign. This Campaign will be implemented over the next few months with support from the United States Agency for International Development/Governance Enhancement Project (USAID/GEP).
“The ultimate goal of this activity is to promote peaceful resolution of disputes and a stable and fair environment in the pre and post2011 General and Regional Elections for businesses and their workers to continue social and economic activities that are vital to national development,” the GCCI said.
