The United Nations (UN) team that held discussions here about what electoral assistance may be needed for the two upcoming elections, visited after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) formally requested an internationally recruited Information Technology specialist. Stabroek News understands that in February this year, GECOM sent a letter to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, requesting UN electoral assistance. This request had not been made public by GECOM here. GECOM, this newspaper was told was requesting that the UN provide the IT expert to aid the Commission in voter registration and the 2018 local government and 2020 general elections.
GECOM Chairman, Justice (rtd) James Patterson was not available for comment when this newspaper contacted his office.
Following approval of this request, a United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) was deployed to Guyana. The team which was led by Hassan Sesay, Senior Electoral/Political Affairs Officer was deployed here on May 7 and completed its work here on Friday.
