According to Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, he is unaware of any intention to invite international observers to scrutinise the upcoming local government elections.
In an invited comment, Bulkan explained to Stabroek News that he feels the upcoming elections do not require elaborate scrutiny.
“While the overall elections are large and significant to the Guyanese public, the individual 580 constituencies don’t account for a large number of voters and the contesting entities, I believe, are sufficient to monitor and scrutinise the process. We don’t need a large elaborate international presence,” he said.
Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally had told a news conference earlier yesterday that local bodies desirous of observing the elections process were free to indicate this desire to Gecom and enter into the process for qualification.
The last local government elections were held in 1994, when, sources said, there were no international observers but a several local observers.