Carter Center observer left in Miami after APNU/AFC Govt refused entry permission

An observer from the Carter Center was unable to travel to Guyana on Monday as planned owing to the denial of approval to travel to Guyana from the COVID-19 Task Force to observe the national recount, which commences on Wednesday.

In a statement Monday morning, the democracy watchdog reaffirmed its commitment to providing an independent observation of Guyana’s electoral process; however, it stated: “The Center deployed an observer to Miami, who was prepared to travel to Georgetown today (Monday), but, unfortunately, his flight was denied approval to carry international election observers.”
According to the Center, attempts continue to be made to ascertain from Government officials what is required to allow Center’s staff to return to Guyana to observe the recount process.

The United States Embassy in Georgetown over the weekend revealed that permission was sought from the National COVID-19 Task Force – which is chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo with Director Joseph Harmon functioning as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)—and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for a flight to land on Monday, May 4, and for the observers from the Carter Center to be allowed entry into Guyana on that flight. In response, the Task Force only approved the arrival of the flight and not the observers.

GECOM Chair to intervene
In light of this situation, Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, Retired Justice Claudette Singh has indicated that she would address the National Task Force on this issue. According to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-nominated GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, the matter is in the hands of the Task Force, but the Chairperson has undertaken to seek approval for the observers from the Carter Center to be granted approval.
According to the order gazetted for the national recount, “The following persons are entitled to be present: representatives of political parties that contested the said elections, the Caricom scrutinising team, international and local observers accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission, and advisors to the Guyana Elections Commission and members of the Commission.”
Commissioner Gunraj, in response to the fiasco, posited, “I am compelled to say that is particularly disheartening, because these persons remain accredited. The Carter Center and the other international observer bodies remain accredited for the process.”
He further opined that these were deliberate attempts to prevent the observers’ access to the recount, saying, “I said earlier on in relation to the COVID-19 regulations, that what we are seeing here and what we are experiencing is a participant, an active participant in this process, persons who seek office as a consequence of these elections are allowed to take steps under the guise of administrative steps which affect persons’ participation in this.”
The Commissioner reiterated, “As far as GECOM is concerned, the Carter Center and all of the other international observers remain accredited. It is unfortunate that the Administration has a tether of those persons’ participation.”
Commenting on the Commission’s discussion of the debacle, A Partnership for National Unity-Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC)-nominated GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander admitted, “…the observers’ accreditation are still intact and, therefore, they have, more or less, an entitlement to be allowed to observe.”