MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS Observation mission to monitor March elections in Guyana

The OAS Chief of Mission to the Guyana election will be the former Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding

The Organization of American States (OAS) and Guyana have agreed to send an Electoral Observation Mission to the Caribbean country to observe the general and regional elections of March 2, 2020, during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, D.C.

The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, highlighted the Organization's commitment to the development and strengthening of the democratic institutions and processes of member states. “This includes the deployment of electoral observation missions in order to promote transparent and credible elections that are indispensable for stability, development and democracy in the region,” said Secretary General Almagro.

For his part, the Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the OAS, Riyad Insanally, said that the Mission will have the full support of the Government and the people of Guyana in carrying out its mandate. ”The Government of Guyana and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are committed to ensuring that elections are free, fair, transparent and credible,” added Ambassador Insanally.

The Chief of Mission will be the former Prime Minister of Jamaica Bruce Golding. The OAS has observed the last five general and regional elections in Guyana between 1997 and 2015.

Guyana is rapidly becoming an oil exporting country following the discovery of several fields offshore.