Carter Center urges politicians to stay away from provocative speech

ꟷ says election preparations on track

United States-based Carter Center is calling on local political leaders and other party members to stray away from using provocative speech during public engagements, especially at rallies and meetings.
The Center issued a statement on Thursday outlining its assessment of Guyana’s preparations for the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
In the missive, the Carter Center expressed concerns over the elevation of rhetoric on the campaign trail, including the use of language which it said some have alleged is inflammatory.
“It is the Center’s hope that the upcoming election will be peaceful, inclusive, and credible… The Center encourages political parties and candidates to refrain from the use of provocative speech to help guarantee a peaceful polling process,” the statement detailed.
In fact, the Carter Center noted that the recent introduction of a code of conduct by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was a welcome initiative and one that drew on the existing legal obligations of parties to comply with the Representation of the People Act and the Racial Hostility Act. The code calls on all parties to refrain from using any words or engaging in actions that might stoke tension or be offensive.
The Center commended all 11 of the political parties contesting the election for committed to abide by the code at a signing ceremony last week.
According to the missive, the freedoms of opinion and expression, of association and assembly, are essential elements of political participation rights, which are protected when candidates and supporters are free to campaign without hindrance.
Having observed 23 rallies and meetings in various regions, the Center noted that campaigning has largely been peaceful during this sensitive period, with strong participation by women and youth.
However, the Center’s observers have reported that they have heard of isolated incidents of harassment of supporters of both the ruling APNU/AFC coalition and the Opposition PPP/C, as well as of destruction of campaign posters.
The Carter Center’s missive was acknowledged by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press conference on Thursday. But he noted that it failed to highlight other critical issues such as the unfair use of state resources for campaigning.
“We all recognise the partisan role played by NCN (National Communication Network) and the government radio stations, and Chronicle [Newspaper] and DPI (Department of Public Information). These are all tools of APNU. Now they’re funded to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money but their programmes have no balance, their articles have no balance and they just blatantly, openly pedal the APNU’s propaganda,” he contended.
According to Jagdeo, observer groups in most countries around the world will comment on this since their remit is free and fair elections.
“I would hope that the observers would also comment on this because this is part of their remit. I have led observer groups too before and part of our remit was to look at the state resources and how they were being used,” the former Head of State noted.
The Center deployed a team of four electoral experts (the core team) in early January. Six long-term observers (LTOs) arrived in Georgetown in mid-January and were briefed before deploying to the various regions of the country.
The LTOs, in teams of two, have visited, and continue to visit, all of Guyana’s 10 regions. Both the core team and the LTOs are observing electoral preparations, following the electoral campaign, and engaging with stakeholders – including electoral authorities, government officials, political parties, civil society, and the media, among others.
The statement on Thursday says “So far, The Carter Center notes that electoral preparations are on track and adhering to the established timetable, both in Georgetown and in the regions.”
The Center is encouraging eligible voters to exercise their right to vote and to contribute to the consolidation of sustainable democratic institutions. It also calls on all political leaders to work together to ensure full respect for the electoral process, in which all eligible voters – no matter their ethnicity, gender, age, religion, or other facets of their identity – are able to express their preference for the country’s future.
“The Center encourages all parties to act in a responsible manner during and after the announcement of the results,” the missive detailed.
However, the periodic assessment also highlighted issues such as tabulation and constitutional reform.
The US organisation is calling on the Guyana Elections Commission to widely distribute its tabulation Procedures so that stakeholders can better understand the process.
It also encourages local leaders to commit to completing constitutional reform in a time-bound period well before the next general elections.
“The Center hopes that Guyana can set a global example of inclusive democratic governance, renewed commitments to fighting corruption, and efforts to ensure that all citizens benefit from what promises to be a bright future,” it noted, recognising Guyana’s oil and gas sector.