Carter Center team fans out across country

The US-based Carter Center – one of the key observer groups for Monday’s general elections – today deployed its team across the country.

A statement from the Center follows:

Carter Center international election observers deployed across the nation of Guyana Saturday, Feb. 29.

More than 40 observers representing 15 countries will cover all 10 of Guyana’s regions. The delegation is co-led by Aminata Touré, former prime minister of Senegal, and Jason J. Carter, chairperson of The Carter Center Board of Trustees. The delegation will draw upon findings from the Carter Center’s history and ongoing presence in Guyana, including the work of its core team of electoral experts and long-term observers, who arrived in January.

In the days around election day, the delegation’s leadership is meeting with key stakeholders to hear their perspectives on the electoral process, including candidates, political party leaders, GECOM, civil society leaders, and the security sector among others.

The Carter Center issued a pre-election statement on Feb. 20, 2020, in which it encouraged GECOM to publicize and distribute existing procedures for tabulation as widely as possible.

“The Carter Center notes that publicizing and widely distributing procedures for both tabulation and recounts – with key safeguards in place for transparency, allowing party scrutineers and observers at all stages – will be integral to ensuring that the will of the voters is accurately and comprehensively reflected in the final results,” Carter said.

Added Touré, “It is a great honor for us to be Guyana at this historic moment. We are hopeful that the electoral process will be peaceful, inclusive, and credible, and that Guyanese come together after these elections so they can share their bright future as one nation.”