Guyana asks for early CARICOM observer team for elections - briefs leaders on Venezuela, Suriname border developments From Sharief Khan in Montego Bay Guyana Chronicle September 30, 2000 GUYANA has asked the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to mount an early observer team for general elections due by January 17, President Bharrat Jagdeo said here yesterday. He told the Chronicle he requested this at a meeting of CARICOM heads of government convened after the scheduled summit with Canada was suspended because of the death of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Mr Jagdeo said he briefed the other heads on developments in the preparations for the elections and asked them to send "an early observer mission to review the preparatory process." Saint Lucia Prime Minister, Dr Kenny Anthony who has CARICOM oversight responsibility for governance in the grouping, is to visit Guyana towards the end of next month in connection with the holding of the elections, the President said. Shortly after the meeting of CARICOM heads at the Half Moon beach club and golf resort, Mr Jagdeo left here for the Jamaica capital Kingston on the way back home. The Elections Commission is preparing to run off the elections by January 17 in keeping with the Herdmanston Accord CARICOM brokered in January 1998 between the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic) and the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC). That accord came amid violence and rising tensions from PNC anti-government street protests in Georgetown after the December 15 general elections. CARICOM has since then maintained a close watch on developments and has been involved in the process, at different levels, towards the elections coming off by January 17. Anthony has been among CARICOM heads of government visiting Guyana to assess progress in the Herdmanston process. The Herdmanston Accord cut the normal five-year term of the elected government by two years and current CARICOM Chairman, Sir James Mitchell, recently said that in hindsight the grouping should not have agreed to this. He told the Chronicle at the July CARICOM summit in Canouan, St Vincent and the Grenadines that elected governments should be allowed to serve out their terms in office and not be pressured by extra-constitutional means. The Elections Commission has said it is on course to meeting the January 17 deadline and the international donor community is supporting the body in adhering to international guidelines for holding free and fair elections. The donors are also helping to finance observer missions for the polls and the Guyana Government has asked that these teams be in the country well before and after the elections to ensure a smooth process. Canada Prime Minister Jean Chretien who was due to meet CARICOM heads gathered here, flew out of Montego Bay shortly after arriving Thursday night. Chretien, who worked with Trudeau for some 34 years, got the news of Trudeau's death while flying here from Guatemala and Canadian journalists with him said he cried on the aircraft. CARICOM leaders and officials at a dinner which the Canadian Prime Minister attended briefly Thursday night before leaving, said he seemed deeply affected by Trudeau's death and they understood his decision to fly back to Canada, suspending the summit. Mr Jagdeo, who expressed regret at Trudeau's passing, noting his great contributions to helping the Caribbean, said Chretien has suggested resuming the summit in January. Canada was among major Western countries which played a key role in supporting the restoration of democracy in Guyana marked by the watershed October 5, 1992 general elections - the first free and fair polls in the country in almost three decades. The Montego Bay meeting was to have discussed, among other matters, the third Summit of the Americas which Chretien is hosting in Quebec in April. President Jagdeo said he also briefed the CARICOM leaders on developments in the longstanding border controversy with Venezuela. CARICOM has traditionally supported Guyana in rejecting the Venezuela claim to the Essequibo and Mitchell told a news conference President Jagdeo updated the other heads on the "structuring of their machinery for further dialogue on the boundary dispute with Venezuela." Mr Jagdeo met Venezuela President Hugo Chavez in the Brazil capital Brasilia at the recent summit of Presidents from South America and they agreed to continue with the United Nations good offices process towards a resolution of the controversy. The Guyana President told the Chronicle he also raised the dispute with Suriname over the offshore territory from which Suriname gunboats June 3 evicted the Canadian CGX Energy Inc drilling rig, triggering a fresh border row between the two countries. He said the matter was discussed and a date has to be fixed for meeting new Suriname President Ronald Venetiaan on the issue. Venetiaan was not here and Mr Jagdeo noted the new Suriname government was giving "heavy focus" to the serious economic problems it inherited. Mr Jagdeo and Venetiaan also met in Brasilia on the fringes of the conference of South American Presidents hosted by Brazil President Enrique Hernando Cardoso. The Guyana President earlier this month said they have agreed "there was need to review the current status of the negotiations which had been taking place between the two countries". CARICOM, to which both countries belong, agreed to mediate talks but the first round under the chairmanship of Jamaica Prime Minister Percival Patterson failed in Kingston in July. Patterson told the Chronicle Jamaica has been in touch with both countries "to see what we can do to help in lubricating the process." Jamaica, he said, "stands prepared to offer whatever assistance might be necessary in achieving an early, fair and satisfactory resolution". Mr Jagdeo Thursday told Jamaican journalists he was "encouraged by the attitude" Venetiaan took at the meeting in Brasilia, adding this was "favourable" to reaching an agreement on the disputed offshore territory. Toronto-based CGX Energy Inc had to pull the American-owned rig from the site after the Jamaica talks failed in July and it has said it may be about two years before a similar rig will be available for drilling in the region. CGX believes the Eagle site from which its rig was evicted is one of two world class giant oilfields in its 15,464 square kilometre concession. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today