GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The leader of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, has held talks with members of the diplomatic community regarding the regional and general elections scheduled for September 1.
A statement posted on the website of the United States embassy Wednesday noted that Norton shared the party’s vision heading into national elections and that the diplomats “shared their countries’ planned support for free, fair, and transparent elections in Guyana.”
The meeting was attended by the Chiefs-of-Mission of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union, referred to here as “the ABCEU Chiefs of Mission.” Norton later told reporters that he was satisfied with planned “mechanisms” by the international community to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections on September 1.
He said the talks focused on “helping to put mechanisms in place to ensure free and fair elections, accepting the problems that exist.”
Norton declined to say what assurances had been given to address the concerns raised, saying, “I wouldn’t get into that,” insisting nonetheless that he was satisfied with the discussions.
United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, described the meeting with Norton as “good.
“Good to hear their priorities ahead of Guyana’s national election,” the diplomat said.
In its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Guyana, the US Department of State noted that several rounds of litigation initiated by the coalition government and opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) delayed the elections until March 2, 2020.
It said the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) refusal to accept the election results that showed their loss created a five-month post-election impasse, which included a national recount, refusal to accept the results of the recount, and litigation in the Caribbean Court of Justice, the country’s court of final instance.
“The general elections resulted in the return of the PPP/C to government after a five-year hiatus from a previous 23-year administration. International observers concluded the March 2 national and regional elections were free and fair,” the US report added.
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