Following the last elections, international donors tried to lobby the government to reform the electoral system to make Members of Parliament (MPs) answerable to the people, but they concluded that significant change was doubtful under President Bharrat Jagdeo.
According to several diplomatic cables, authored by former US Ambassador to Guyana David Robinson during the immediate pre- and post-elections period, the push would build on successful efforts to get parties to commit to governance reforms. However, they eventually concluded that significant change was doubtful, saying that President Jagdeo was counting on “a tame cabinet and crippled opposition” during his second term and had even indicated the importance of helping beleaguered PNCR leader Robert Corbin retain his position as opposition leader.
The cables, made public on the WikiLeaks website, say that mission chiefs from the US, the UK, Canada, the EU, the
