The US-based Carter Center yesterday announced that it had launched its observer mission here for the 2020 general elections.
With the March 2 polls seen as carrying the highest stakes since independence, the Center’s views on elections preparations and on polling day activities will be seen as influential.
Headed by former US President Jimmy Carter, the Center has had a long history with Guyana’s electoral processes dating back to 1990.
In a release yesterday, the Center said that following an invitation from the Government of Guyana it had launched its election observation mission.
It said that the mission will observe and assess key aspects of the electoral process, including the pre-electoral environment, the status of the Guyana Elections Commission’s preparations for elections, and campaigning.
“Teams of long-term observers are currently deploying across the country and will later be joined by short-term observers and high-level leadership to observe voting, counting, and tabulation procedures. The Carter Center will also follow the post-election process, including the tabulation of results and resolution of any legal disputes. The international election observation mission will build upon the work done by four fact-finding delegations deployed by the Center in 2019 in the lead-up to election”, the release said.
The release said that throughout the election season, The Carter Center will issue periodic statements on key findings. At the end of the mission, it will present an independent assessment of the electoral process and its compliance with the country’s international commitments, national law, and standards for democratic elections. All statements and reports will be available at www.cartercenter.org.
The Center has established a Twitter account especially for this election observation mission and members of the public can keep up with mission statements and activities @CarterGuyanaEOM.
The release said that the Center’s election observation missions are conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which provides guidelines for professional and impartial international election observation. The declaration was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has been supported by more than 50 election observation groups.
The Center is among a number of high-profile multilateral organisations which will be observing the March 2nd polls. Former President Carter had headed the center’s observation mission here in May 2015 but cut short his stay after he fell ill.
Founded in 1982, the Carter Center has had a long association with electoral reforms and elections here. In 1990, Carter was able to broker pivotal electoral reforms with then President Desmond Hoyte such as counting at the place of poll and an expanded elections commission. The Carter-Price formula for the selection of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission was also attributed to the Center. That formula was discarded in 2017 by the Granger administration.
The Center played a pivotal part in the observing of the 1992 general elections which saw the PNC losing office to the PPP/C in what was seen as the restoration of democratic rule after four rigged general elections.
