Even as they continue their call for local government elections here, western envoys yesterday said that they will give electoral support when the time comes for local or general elections.
“The government of Canada, I can say, will be heavily engaged in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections in Guyana as they have in the past,” Canadian High Commissioner Nicole Giles said yesterday at a press conference hosted by Canada, the US and the UK on the situation in the Ukraine.
She pointed out that her mission here has been giving its support in the call for the holding of local government elections as they play an integral role in the development of a country’s people. “Local government elections in countries play a very important role …and we look forward for Guyana calling a date,” she asserted at the Canadian High Commission.
Giles informed that the donor community will continue to provide support for the holding of elections in a variety of ways and that when a date is set for either general or local elections this will be similar.
Canada, she explained, has already been having discussions with the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) on elections as part of formal diplomatic interactions. However, she looks forward to detailed discussions “if and when” an election date is set.
Specifically, Giles pointed out that at that time Canada will then determine what it can give. “The government of Canada will consider what is required on a basis of requests that we get and make our evaluation, at that point, in terms of assistance that we are able to offer,” Giles stated.
Britain’s High Commissioner also informed that his country anticipates assisting Gecom in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.
Meanwhile, United States Chargé d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt said that his country continuously gives electoral support and continues to work closely with Gecom as well as government in ensuring that assistance.
Gecom in January announced that it was exploring the possibility of embarking on a pilot project in which automatic scanning and tabulation machines could be used in a future election but it said that funding for such a project would be needed.
A team of representatives of the DELIAN Project, an independent, non-profit organization registered in North America, had visited Guyana in January and conducted a demonstration on the use of automatic ballot scan and tabulation technology.
Chairman of Gecom Dr Steve Surujbally had said at a press conference that where the monies for such a project comes from was still being mulled.
