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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth to Observe Guyana Elections

27 February 2001

The Commonwealth is to send 11 Election Observers to Guyana for the General and Regional Elections to be held there on 19 March 2001. An advance group consisting of Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections, Mr Dayananda Dissanayake, and Commonwealth Secretariat staff member Mr Chuks Ihekaibeya have already been at work in Guyana from Monday 26 February.

The chairperson of the Observer Group, Mr Ieremia Tabai, former Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, and the main body of Observers are expected to arrive in Guyana on 11 March. Seven Secretariat officials will support the Observers in their work.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said today that the Observer Group was being established following an invitation from the Government of Guyana and confirmation by the Secretariat that there was broad support from political parties and others for the presence of a Commonwealth Observer Group.

The Terms of Reference for the Observer Group are as follows:

The Group is established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the request of the Government of Guyana. It is to observe relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the General and Regional Elections in accordance with the laws of Guyana. It is to consider the various factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole and to determine in its own judgement whether the conditions exist for a free expression of will by the electors and if the results of the elections reflect the wishes of the people.

.The Group is to act impartially and independently. It has no executive role; its function is not to supervise but to observe the process as a whole and to form a judgment accordingly. It would also be free to propose to the authorities concerned such action on institutional, procedural and other matters as would assist the holding of such elections.

The Group is to submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will forward it to the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Elections Commission, the leadership of the political parties taking part in the elections and thereafter to all Commonwealth governments.

After the elections, and following the departure of the Observer Group, two Commonwealth Secretariat staff members will remain in Georgetown for a short period as representatives of the Commonwealth Secretary-General.

________________________


Note to Editors

A Commonwealth Observer Group was also present for the last General and Regional Elections in Guyana, held on 15 December 1997. This will be the 33rd Commonwealth Observer Group since October 1990.


01/14 27 February 2001
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