The Chiefs of Mission of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and European Union met with Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Thursday at 10:00 hrs. According to a statement to the press, the meeting was held in the GECOM boardroom at the request of the diplomatic delegation to discuss the agency’s preparations for the conduct of General and Regional Elections.
The diplomats present included : Terry Steers Gonzales, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America; Lilian Chatterjee, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana; Ray Davidson, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Guyana; and Philippe Coessens, Minister Counsellor / Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union.
In an invited comment, GECOM Commissioner, Robeson Benn, said that presentations were made by all the Commissioners. He noted however that “these are seasoned foreign representatives and I am sure that they will not or cannot be fooled by what is going on at the Guyana Elections Commission.”
As an Opposition Commissioner, Benn said, “We explained to them that GECOM has been avoiding being ready for elections… They did not express how they felt. They just listened and made notes.”
The GECOM Commissioner said that he and the other PPP Commissioners will continue the fight to inform the international community of GECOM’s refusal to fulfil its constitutional mandate, which he said, is to hold elections within 90 days.
