The Private Sector Commission (PSC) today called on the media to be responsible in their coverage of the upcoming elections following suggestions that plans are afoot to rig the polls.
Reading from a prepared statement, the PSC chairman, Ramesh Dookhoo said that “The Private Sector Commission wishes to express its strong disapproval of the statements in the press which suggest that one party contesting the elections may be hatching plans to rig the 2011 elections and that the observer teams may not be credible”. No media entity was singled out during a press briefing held in the PSC boardroom.
According to Dookhoo, the Commission considers these statements highly irresponsible and wishes to “assert that it has full confidence in the Guyana Elections Commission to conduct free and fair elections”.
He noted that the political parties have signed a Code of Conduct which governs their behaviour before, during and after the elections and “unfounded claims such as those being made have a real potential to derail a peaceful process of voting”.
“The Private Sector Commission is again appealing for mature and responsible behaviour to prevail during the upcoming election period”, he stressed.