WPA concerned over exclusion from elections stakeholders meeting
Stabroek News
February 15, 2004
The Working People's Alliance (WPA) has expressed concern over the exclusion of two political parties represented in Parliament from a meeting between the President and stakeholders to discuss local government elections.
In a press release issued yesterday, the WPA queried why the GAP-WPA and ROAR parties were not invited to the meeting, whether Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr Steve Surujbally was aware of the exclusion before the meeting and whether he objected to it.
Contacted yesterday, Surujbally said he was an invitee and therefore was not aware of who was attending the meeting beforehand. Surujbally also said that whenever GECOM hosted a meeting all stakeholders are invited.
Stabroek News also contacted Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud, who said he had no comments on the issue at this time.
The meeting was held at the Office of the President and attended by the PPP/C, PNC/R, GECOM and representatives of the donor community.
The WPA said in its release: "WPA wishes to make it very clear that GECOM's participation in a forum which from the outset excluded two parliamentary parties, is seen as giving support to a process that discriminates against those persons who GAP-WPA and ROAR were elected to represent."
It said that this act raises serious questions about GECOM's ability to act in the best interest of all electors in Guyana.