(CMC) The United States is sponsoring an 18 month project aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to advocate for electoral reform in accordance with regional and international standards.
A statement from the US Embassy here said that the State Department is also working with the Attorney General’s Chambers “regarding electoral processes, and to encourage civil society organizations (CSOs) to advocate for electoral reform”.
It said the project will be implemented by the International Republican Institute.
“Through this project, GECOM, the Attorney General’s Chambers, and Guyanese CSOs will collaboratively consolidate and improve local electoral and constitutional law knowledge, establish an internal timeline to address electoral reform, improve collaboration for joint advocacy actions, and prioritize electoral and constitutional law issues while promoting reform through citizen engagement,” the statement said.
It noted that the project is part of Washington’s “ongoing support to strengthen the capacity of Guyana’s governance for the benefit of all Guyanese”.
Washington had been among countries critical of the March 2 regional and general election here last year, that brought the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to power. The opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU=AFC) which had been in power, has since announced plans to appeal a recent High Court ruling against two election petitions it had filed challenging the election results.
