Dear Editor,
The announcement by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma that an Observer Team headed by Kate Wilkinson has arrived in the country to observe the May 11 national and regional elections is welcome news.
Guyana is a member of the Commonwealth and the preservation and consolidation of democracy and democratic rule must be a matter of concern to that body.
This is especially so given Guyana’s past history of rigged elections and concomitant dictatorial rule for a period that lasted some twenty-eight years during which Guyana was reduced to the shameful status of the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
Guyana during those years was regarded as a pariah state known for rigged elections, poverty and backwardness which only came to an end following the restoration of democratic rule on October 5, 1992.
Indeed, were it not for the
presence of the Carter Center led by former US President Jimmy Carter himself and other credible international observer groups such as the Commonwealth Group, the OAS and CARICOM the elections might have once again been rigged in favour of the PNC.
There are those who credited Desmond Hoyte for the restoration of democratic rule ignoring the fact that the biggest electoral fraud in this country took place in 1985 following the death of Forbes Burnham and the assumption of Desmond Hoyte as President. In elections held later that year, Hoyte took roughly three quarters of the votes cast in full view of local and international observers.
It took sustained pressure from the local and international community before Hoyte finally agreed to electoral reforms which included a new voters’ list, a balanced elections commission and more importantly the counting of votes at the place of poll which he had earlier declared to be a logistical nightmare. Elections which were due in 1990 were postponed by two years to allow for opposition demands to be met.
President Carter and his Carter Center along with other western countries and the donor community were mainly responsible for the restoration of democracy to Guyana.
Today, twenty three years later they are once again in Guyana, this time not to bring an end to dictatorial rule but to ensure that our hard won democracy is preserved and consolidated.
The presence of GECOM-accredited observer teams is most reassuring and will certainly help to boost voter confidence and morale.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
