Guyana and will lead the Carter Center’s election observation mission for the country’s upcoming general and regional elections. According to a press release issued last Thursday, the Center’s election observers have already arrived in the country and are undergoing training in preparation for monitoring election day activities, including the tabulation of results and the post-election environment.

As part of his mission, Jason Carter will meet with key stakeholders such as political party candidates, civil society organizations, government officials, and other international observer groups. He is returning to Guyana after previously co-leading the Carter Center’s 2020 election observation mission. He stated: “This is an important moment for Guyana’s democracy. The Carter Center encourages every eligible voter to make their voice heard and is hopeful that the electoral process will be a fully transparent one that reflects the will of the people.”

The Carter Center’s core team of electoral experts arrived in late June and released a preliminary statement on August 19, summarizing key observations from the pre-election period. Following the elections, the Center said it will publish reports providing an independent and impartial assessment of the entire electoral process. The Center reiterated that it was invited by the Government of Guyana to observe this year’s elections. “It has a longstanding commitment to Guyana and has worked in the country since 1991 to strengthen democracy, support civil society, encourage sustainable development, and reinforce the rule of law. The Carter Center is a recognized leader in the international election observation community and has conducted more than 125 election observation missions globally, including in Guyana in 1992, 2001, 2006, 2015, and 2020,” the mission said.

Last week, the Carter Center released its pre-election report, one which Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has strongly criticised and labelled as “a bunch of nonsense.”  (Kaieteur News)