Former US President Jimmy Carter today flew back to Atlanta, Georgia after feeling unwell.
Carter, 90, had been here to head up the Carter Center’s observer mission to tomorrow’s general election.
Reports say that Carter visited the Balwant Singh Hospital last night and stayed there for about an hour. He then returned to the Pegasus Hotel. Before leaving today he met with President Donald Ramotar and APNU+AFC presidential candidate David Granger at the Pegasus Hotel.
Carter has had a long association with Guyana stretching back to 1990 when he played a key role in ensuring electoral reforms and later monitoring the pivotal 1992 general elections.
The following statement was issued by the Center around 1 pm today.
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — President Carter was not feeling well and has departed Guyana to return to Atlanta today. The Carter Center election observation mission in Guyana is continuing its work and will keep him informed of developments. President Carter is hopeful about Guyana’s election and expressed his commitment and that of The Carter Center to supporting Guyana in the days ahead, stressing the need for a peaceful process before, during, and after the election.
The statement said that before leaving Guyana this morning, Carter and the Carter Center election observation delegation co-leaders — Dame Billie Miller of Barbados and Dame Audrey Glover of the United Kingdom — met with some of Guyana’s leaders including President Donald Ramotar and APNU+AFC presidential candidate David Granger. It also supplied photographs of these two meetings.