Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06GEORGETOWN915
2006-09-13 20:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Georgetown
Cable title:  

SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION: FREE, FAIR AND

Tags:  PGOV KDEM OAS GY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGE #0915/01 2562020
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 132020Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4063
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1011
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0395
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0161
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2189
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0099
C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000915 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

WHA - DAS DUDDY
WHA/CAR
WHA/OAS
DS/IP/WHA
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION: FREE, FAIR AND
TRANSPARENT?

REF: A. GEORGETOWN 860


B. GEORGETOWN 855

C. GEORGETOWN 854

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(B)

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000915

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

WHA - DAS DUDDY
WHA/CAR
WHA/OAS
DS/IP/WHA
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM OAS GY
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: GUYANA ELECTION: FREE, FAIR AND
TRANSPARENT?

REF: A. GEORGETOWN 860


B. GEORGETOWN 855

C. GEORGETOWN 854

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASON 1.4(B)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Guyana's 2006 national and regional
elections: free, somewhat fair, but not transparent.
International observers agree that: (1) the elections were
technically a success; (2) proper procedures were followed at
polling places in the subsequent vote count. However, there
are long-standing problems with the fairness and transparency
of Guyana's electoral process, including the People's
Progressive Party's (PPP/C) use of government resources --
including state run media and tax authorities - to support
its campaign. Likewise, the total exclusion of the public
from the regulatory decision-making processes regarding the
conduct of the election and an electoral system in which the
public do not know which individuals they are choosing to
represent them in Parliament result in a poor grade for
transparency. END SUMMARY.

--------------
VOTING PROCESS WAS FREE
--------------


2. (SBU) By final count, more than 336,000 Guyanese cast
votes at approximately 2000 polling places in the August 28
national and regional elections. Aside from a few minor
glitches - mostly issues regarding voter identification
and/or location of correct polling place - national and
international election observers agreed that Guyana's 2006
elections were a success. With more than 120 international
observers (OAS, Commonwealth, CARICOM, Carter Center) and
approximately 1200 local Election Assistance Bureau (EAB)
observers well as polling agents from at least two parties at
nearly every polling station, the integrity of the voting
process was watched with great detail. Shortly after the
polls closed, the accolades began flowing in:

-- OAS A/SYG Albert Ramdin released a statement on August 29
declaring that "reports from OAS observers throughout the day
indicated that the General and Regional Elections took place
in a calm, professional and orderly manner."

-- In a follow up press release, the OAS declared that the

elections were "exemplary" and that they will long be
remembered for their historical value and for setting an
inspirational basis for changes to come.

-- The Carter Center issued a press release on August 31
commending the people of Guyana, the political parties and
GECOM for "what so far has been the most peaceful and orderly
electoral process in recent history."

-- The Commonwealth Observer Group endorsed the voting
process, proclaiming that there was no interference or
manipulation during the process and that conditions existed
at the elections for "a free expression of will of the
electors and the results reflected their wishes."

-- The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana issued a
statement praising the election process and thanking GECOM
for "conducting elections in a peaceful and transparent
manner.

-- US Embassy staff, serving as volunteer election observers
in most parts of the country, reported that voting procedures
were followed and that no major problems occurred at the
polling places.

-------------- --------------
PPP'S USE OF GOVERNMENT RESOURCES IMPEDES FAIRNESS
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) The fairness of the electoral process was hindered
by the PPP/C's use of government resources to tilt the

playing field. As the ruling party, they had an unfair
advantage in regard to both the quantity and quality of media
exposure during the elections. Radio is the only form of
electronic media that reaches most parts of Guyana's
interior. The only licensed radio station in Guyana is
controlled by the PPP/C led government, which used this
monopoly control to its advantage. The government also
controls a network of television stations that covers most of
the coast. The PPP/C used this media advantage to, among
other things, air pro-party documentaries for months,
including the night before the election, and to constantly
bombard cricket match viewers with pictures of President
Jagdeo during the contest. In another example of misuse of
government resources, the PPP/C-run media tripled the cost
for political advertisements during the month before the
election, while keeping constant the rates for commercial
ads, effectively denying access to less well-funded parties.
In private meetings with election observers, Jagdeo and his
senior ministers admitted that their "Cabinet Outreach"
program was purely a state-funded campaign activity. The
PPP/C's misuse of government resources went as far as
political-related tax audits - the leaders of both the
Alliance for Change (AFC) and Guyana Action Party-Rise
Organize and Rebuild Guyana (GAP-ROAR)reported that they were
queried or audited by the Guyana Revenue Authority in the
run-up to the election.

--------------
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY A CONCERN
--------------


4. (SBU) Although Guyana's national and regional elections
were an overall success, issues concerning lack of
transparency in the process did arise. First, most of
GECOM's decisions regarding the election were discussed and
decided in closed meetings. This lack of transparency left
voters guessing as to how, exactly, the decisions were made
and who, ultimately, was responsible for making them. The
constitutional selection process for Parliament members is
opaque. After learning how many seats their party has won,
the party leaders than pick and choose names from the
electoral list to represent their party in Parliament. The
selection mechanism is closed to all other than the
inner-circle of party faithful. The two major parties
presented electoral lists with far more names than the total
number of seats in Parliament. Thus, even if the PPP/C or
PNC/R-1G had won 100% of the vote and all 65 seats in
Parliament, the electorate still would not know which
individuals would end up representing them in Parliament.
Lastly, the number of Parliament seats awarded to each
contesting party is calculated through a confusing
constitutional formula that left most observers (as well as
candidates) dumbfounded as to whether the resulting
distribution was correct. The Chief Electoral Officer
apparently did not get it correct when explaining the system
to the national media, and none of the candidates or senior
party leaders EmbOffs spoke with were able to come to
agreement on how seats are supposed to be distributed. From
a transparency standpoint, Guyana's voting laws need to be
re-written so that even the public can understand them.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


5. (C) As former President Carter has remarked, Guyana does
not need help counting ballots. This election was as free as
the last three elections since 1992. The problems with
fairness and transparency are also largely the same as those
in the 1992, 1997, and 2001 elections. The peaceful and
orderly electoral process at least is one positive sign that
the political system is beginning to mature. The violence
and constitutional crisis brought on by the last few
elections has, at least temporarily, been replaced by a
functioning electoral process and a smooth transition into
the next five years.

Robinson