Despite concerns about the size of the voters’ list, US Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt says he believes it is “largely accurate.”
“I do not have concerns about the quality of the voters’ list. I have discussed this extensively with numerous people at the election commission; I’ve discussed this extensively with the political parties; I don’t believe that we have a serious problem relating to the voters’ list,” Hunt emphasised during an interview with Stabroek News last Thursday.
Hunt pointed out that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has provided everyone with more than sufficient opportunity to review the preliminary list, raise concerns about it, issue objections to inclusion of names, and the objections that did come were credibly dealt with. “If parties are now coming back to say, ‘Oh well, we didn’t have time or we didn’t bother or we didn’t do due diligence during the scrutiny process,’ well there is only so much we can really expect of the election commission and I think the commission has done a very credible job,” Hunt said.
He added that there is not a significant problem with large numbers of non-qualified voters on the list. “I think the commission’s done the best job that they possibly can in pulling it together,” Hunt said adding that there is no voters’ list in the world that is going to be 100% accurate on the day of the election. “Guyana’s is as credible a list as you could realistically hope to have at this time,” he said.
Hunt also said he believes GECOM is doing a very credible job as it prepares for the May 11 general elections.
“I think that we are seeing an election commission that has the ability to put in place the necessary logistics on voting day. I think that we are seeing an election commission that is communicating actively, listening to the parties, attempting to address the issues that the parties identify in the logistical preparations and I think we’re seeing an election commission that by all accounts, including those of the embedded technical advisers from the international community, is doing what needs to be done for that contest on election day and the counting thereafter and announcement of results thereafter to be handled in a credible manner,” he said.
The US diplomat said that the support that the international community has provided over a long period of time to GECOM has built up a very credible set of procedural arrangements and preparations.
Meanwhile, Hunt said that the US Embassy will be fielding just over 60 observers on polling day. In addition, the Carter Center will be fielding a team of just over 40 observers. The diplomat said that the US Embassy is in close and active communication with the various observer missions. “The objective is to have all of the teams talking as actively as possible to make sure that we’re exchanging all of the information that we have, that we’re all getting the same information in our possession and discussing through ways that we can try to talk with various stakeholders to improve the process,” he said while adding that they are trying to ensure that the process is free, fair and credible and the results respected without any resort to violence.
As it relates to the declaration of results, Hunt said that GECOM is aware of the importance of getting out the results as early as possible but noted that they have a tremendous logistical challenge in moving results from far flung areas. However, he said that he has great confidence in the Chief Election Officer and contingency plans. “There is no difference of opinion between the international observers and GECOM about the importance of getting those results out quickly and I’m confident that GECOM will do everything that’s in its power to get those out as quickly as can be done always keeping in mind that there is this logistical trail that has to go through,” he said.
Hunt stressed that there must be patience. “There will be an electoral result, that result will be accurate, GECOM is going to get it out, everyone needs to relax. A couple of days, one way or the other are not going to change the tenure of office of the future government whichever side that ultimately is. We’re not talking about GECOM taking months here, we’re talking about the difference between two days or five days. I think everyone needs to simply be patient, await the results, let’s see what the declaration is and then we need to respect the results whether the party that you support wins or not, it’s important to respect the process, respect the results and allow whichever government is elected to take office and begin to move forward with their policies and programmes,” he said.
