The Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR) is open to any discussion regarding foreign presence at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for quality control.
This was conveyed earlier today by Party Executive and Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams, during a news conference held at Congress Place, Sophia.
Hastings-Williams’ comments come at a time when GECOM is mulling elections by the end of this year. The government-aligned commissioners at the commission, however, do not think this endeavor to be a realistic one.
Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, is contending that GECOM Secretariat is compromised.
Jagdeo told media operatives yesterday that there is something “sinister” going on at GECOM, and he believes that “an extra pair of eyes” is needed. He said that the commission should seek the assistance of international bodies to partake in what he described as “quality control” at the commission.
The former President also stated that some international bodies, including the Commonwealth and the UN, and several bilateral donors, have communicated their willingness to assist, and are just “waiting for the request”.
Hastings-Williams, when quizzed on her party’s position on international presence at GECOM, told Guyana Standard: “We’ve always had presence of international observers during our elections and we allow them to do what they are supposed to do during those times. We are open, we are willing to discuss, [and] to communicate with any body whether it’s locals, nationals, or internationals.”
