APNU meets with UN electoral Mission

Georgetown : The United Nations Electoral Mission in advance of the 11^th May General and Regional Elections in Guyana, yesterday, met with representatives of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street Georgetown.  The UN team was headed by Mr. Richard Gee, Electoral/Political Affairs Officer in the Electoral Assistance Division, Department of Political Affairs – The United Nations; and included Ms. Lea Zoric, Elections Department of Political Affairs; and Mr. George Wachira, Policy Advisor, United Nations Development Programme – UNDP, Guyana.

 

Head of the UN Electoral Mission, Mr. Richard Gee outlined the main purpose of the team’s visit to Guyana. He said that theirs was primarily a ‘needs assessment’ mission, in support of the electoral process. Particular attention was being paid to the interest of political and other stakeholders and an assessment was being made of the pre-election environment. Part of the team’s mission was also to provide support for the electoral institutions like the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

 

Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger who headed a team of APNU Members of Parliament, welcomed the UN Team and provided a brief historic overview of the political circumstances leading up to President Donald Ramotar naming a date for General and Regional Elections. The APNU team outlined several matters of concern, including; the lack of access to state media; the need for more voter education; the timely declaration of election results; the inadequacy in the allocation of resources to Returning Officers and the Government's use of State resources for the purposes of campaigning.

 

The APNU’s team included Mr. Basil Williams, MP; Mr. Joseph Harmon, MP and APNU's General Secretary; Ms. Amna Ally, MP; Mr. Winston Felix, MP and APNU's  Campaign Director; and Mr. Desmond Trotman, MP.