Dear Editor,
I refer to an article in your 15th February 2011 edition regarding the ‘Attempt [by the police] to arrest [Mark] Benschop over stolen [Office of the President] info’.
Given the President’s expressed commitment to expeditiously table the ‘Freedom of Information’ bill, made at a press conference in 2009 in Trinidad during his attendance at the 5th Summit of the Americas, the citizens of Guyana would expect that the Government, especially the Office of the President, would abide by the general principles laid down in the draft Act, irrespective of whichever party in parliament tabled it.
Access to information is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and, therefore, it is a prerequisite in fostering an environment in which free and fair elections can take place.
In this regard, the Electoral Assistance Bureau, as it prepares to launch its 2011 Elections monitoring exercise, will be monitoring the actions of state bodies towards the media and other stakeholders in the electoral process.
Yours faithfully,
David Yhann
Member
Council of Management
Electoral Assistance Bureau
