The Organisation of Ameri-can States (OAS) has recommended that political leaders and other stakeholders use the peaceful outcome of the August 28 general elections to stimulate increased dialogue, while getting the reform of electoral process underway as early as possible.
In its Electoral Observa-tion report on the 2006 general and regional elections, the OAS Mission said that the peaceful conclusion of the polls represents an historic opportunity for politics to transcend race and ethnicity. "To continue the process of strengthening democracy in Guyana, it is now important to promote an open debate about the electoral process and its actors," it urged. The OAS fielded the largest contingent of international observers during the last elections, covering all ten regions.
OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, during the presentation of the report yesterday at Le Meridien Pegasus, said the peaceful conclusion of the elections provides a unique and historic opportunity for politicians and civil society at large to break with historical divide and to further strengthen confidence and trust in society and among political parties and the political process. He added that the conduct of the parties is encouraging and one that needs to be developed and he pledged the support of the OAS to support priorities for reforms identified by Guyana.
Ramdin noted the importance of constant, open and structured dialogue between parties and their leaders, in the Parliament and if necessary beyond, to build the necessary trust among stakeholders. He said the OAS was encouraged by President Bharrat Jagdeo's commitment to work towards an extended framework for collaboration and consultation. He pointed out that generally, social and economic progress could only be achieved in an environment of peace and stability which provides a necessary platform for investment and job creation, increase productivity and the overall prosperity and well-being of the people.
In much the same way he lauded the performance of the political parties, Ramdin reflected on the work of the relatively young permanent Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He said the next important step should be enhancing confidence in the institution through permanent relationship with the people, political parties, and other stakeholders characterised by education and communication. He said the commission should become a technically and financially well-equipped, independent, non-partisan electoral institution, capable of providing electoral service that will be respected and professional guidance in situations of uncertainty.
Ramdin also advised that some of the legal issues that were raised in the pre-electoral period, like residency, should be tackled early on to get a clear answer on how to proceed next time. He said too that verification of the voters' list in a way that is acceptable to all is also important.
The mission's report said GECOM should conduct a house-to-house verification of the voters' list, and that doing so as soon as possible would ensure that a verified list of electors is available whenever elections are held. (On a related note, it urged that local government polls be held as soon as possible, in keeping with the Constitution. It noted that elective politics on the local level constitutes an important and inclusive mechanism for all political parties and departs from the notion of winner take all politics.) It did note that despite the concerns of the political parties about registration and deficiencies in the list, identity checks were stringent and the observers did not uncover any evidence of fraudulent voting. Safeguards such as the use of indelible ink, the presence of the political party agents and electoral folios with the voters' photos were found to have impeded the possibility of widespread, intentional disenfranchisement or double voting.
But the mission added that it believed the decision not to do a house-to-house verification of the information on the voters' list unnecessarily cast doubt on the entire process and compelled the delay of the elections beyond the original constitutional deadline.
The observers also noted the lack of communication between the GECOM and the general public. Although it eventually held press briefings in the weeks leading up to the polls as well as a civic education drive, it was felt that GECOM ought to devote more time and resources to public outreach, and a permanent civic education programme, targeting school-aged youth in the off-election years. Additionally, the mission recommended that GECOM improve communications with all competing political parties, regardless of their size and parliamentary representation. It suggested that this could be facilitated through meetings and briefings. Additionally, it noted that while some of the smaller parties might not have the representation on the commission - thus lacking statutory authority in formulating electoral policies - they should be kept apprised of the decision-making process.
Other recommendations include simplifying the procedures to be followed by the poll workers on election day, particularly those that relate to the closing of polls. It is felt that this process can be streamlined without jeopardising safeguards, resulting in a quicker transmission of results.
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The report said political parties should continue to promote politics based on national policies, while refraining from inciting racial prejudices. It noted that this campaign was more constructive than others recently observed, but there is still room for improvement. Additionally, it pointed out that political party reform and modernisation should be addressed. In fact, internal democratisation, campaign financing, and political party institutionalisation between elections are issues that are being addressed in Caribbean and OAS member states throughout the hemisphere and these issues hold relevance for Guyana.
Gender equality in parties was also another area cited for wanting in the improvement. It said more people, and especially women, need to be afforded the opportunity not only to belong to a party, but also to be part of its leadership and roster of candidates. Currently, quotas provide that, for parties, contesting seats in the National Assembly, a third of candidates nominated must be women. While this was deemed as laudable, it was still viewed as short of gender equality. Civil society organisations have assumed an important role in the electoral process since the 1992 elections, especially as it relates to ensuring transparency in the process. To this end, there was encouragement for the work of groups like the Electoral Assistance Bureau, the Private Sector Commission, the Guyana Public Service Union, the Guyana Bar Association and the Media Monitoring Unit, to be sustained. In the same vein, the work of the Ethnic Relations Commission was also commended. Moreover, it was felt that the body should have an expanded mandate and resources to conduct sustained activities to promote democratic values and mutual tolerance.
The importance of the engagement international community in the country's political processes was also emphasised, in terms of providing resources to consolidate democracy, helping to strengthen institutions like GECOM and the Parliament, and promoting mechanisms for dialogue among the parties and civil society. However, it was stressed that ultimately the political decisions will be made by the Guyanese people.
The successful efforts of the disciplined forces were attributed to communication between the forces, which is seen to have provided an element of preparedness not seen in previous elections. The work of rural constables also proved crucial.
As a result, it was recommended that coordination between the forces be further strengthened. At the same time, it was pointed out that providing a feeling of security is a multi-faceted, long-term effort and not exclusively the responsibility of the armed forces and the police. In this regard, the report said, political parties must continue to urge their followers to participate peacefully in the electoral and political processes of the country, without resorting to violence.