GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC -The United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, said Wednesday that Washington would be supporting the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in strengthening its capacity for the September 1 general and regional elections.
Theriot told reporters that the North American country was responding to a “request” from the GPF and that “ we’re happy to provide it”.
“So, what we will be doing very shortly is bringing in police trainers from, we haven’t settled yet on either Las Vegas or Miami Dade, to provide election security training to help the GPF to be prepared for whatever might come, hopefully nothing, hopefully, it will be nice and peaceful but we are going to be doing that,” Ambassador Theriot said.
She stated that the United States has “a lot of expertise” in conducting contentious yet peaceful elections and that Washington would be funding two-thirds of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) election observation mission, as well as working closely with the Carter Center.
“We’re very, very pleased to have that incredible institution here and to be able to support them,” she said, adding that the United Kingdom, European Union, and Canadian Chiefs-of-Mission were also backing those efforts.
“We’re playing a role and coordinating amongst all of the missions” as well as the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and other observation missions,” the US diplomat said, adding “we’re trying to ensure that we are all working together so that we’re not redundant and, hopefully, every polling station in the country has international observers”.
Nomination Day is July 14 and the voters will have to choose between the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Alliance for Change, as well as the newly formed coalition of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) among others.
The US diplomat told reporters that the embassy here would be fielding 50 observers, acknowledging that they had been informed by the opposition of a bloated voter list that could lead to voter impersonation and multiple voting.
However, she stated that there has been an assurance from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that free and fair elections will be conducted.
“I have heard those concerns from different leaders of the opposition and the average Guyanese person when I speak has concerns about that but I will tell you that we meet regular with GECOM, the CEO, the Commissioners, the Chairwoman and, as they described the process, we feel that there will be a free, fair and transparent election,” she said.
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