Dear Editor,
I wish to thank you for giving coverage to the Electoral Assistance Bureau’s (EAB) soon to be launched ‘2015 Elections Observer Exercise.’ However, I would be grateful if you would permit me to make a few clarifications.
Due to the shortness of time and limited resources, the EAB programme for the upcoming National and Regional Elections will be restricted to observing the balloting process on Elections Day, May 11, 2015.
In the circumstances, the EAB will not be conducting a field test of a random sample drawn from the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). In the past, the EAB has conducted sample tests of the PLE and the Revised List of Electors (RLE), but never of the Official List of Electors (OLE).
I also wish to clarify that we have not yet begun to recruit observers.
Notwithstanding these limitations, the EAB will endeavour to give whatever assistance is appropriate to help electors identify their names and particulars on the voters’ list and to identify their polling station.
The EAB has always enjoyed a good, professional working relationship with all the stakeholders, including the Guyana Elections Commission, and we have every expectation this will continue.
Yours faithfully,
Fr Malcolm Rodrigues, SJ
Chairman
Council of Management
Electoral Assistance Bureau
