eeaabb Electoral Assistance Bureau EAB Final Report: General and Regional Elections, 28th August 2006, Co-operative Republic of Guyana March 7th, 2007 2 Electoral Assistance Bureau EAB/REP 2007/EM/No. 1 Published by the Electoral Assistance Bureau of Guyana All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is the property of the EAB. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must credit the EAB. The EAB is not responsible for misquotes of any of the material contained in this report. Suggested Citation: Electoral Assistance Bureau of Guyana (2007), Final Report: General and Regional Elections, 28th August 2006, Cooperative Republic of Guyana. General and Regional Elections: GUYANA 28th August 2006 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................2 TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................5 ACRONYMNS & ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................6 LIST OF ANNEXES .......................................................................................7 FOREWORD .................................................................................................8 ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE BUREAU...............................................................9 COUNTRY BACKGROUND ...........................................................................10 The Political Context ......................................................................................10 The Economic Context ...................................................................................12 Electoral Context...........................................................................................12 National Needs .............................................................................................13 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................14 2 ELECTORAL STRUCTURE .....................................................................15 Constitutional & Legal Framework....................................................................15 Administrative Structure ................................................................................16 Formation of the Elections Commission ............................................................16 Accreditation of Observers..............................................................................17 Voting Procedures .........................................................................................17 3 ELECTORAL PREPARATIONS ...............................................................18 Pre-election Period ........................................................................................18 Extension of the life of parliament .............................................................................................. 18 Voters’ list ............................................................................................................................... 18 Claims & Objections .................................................................................................................. 19 EAB List Tests .......................................................................................................................... 20 Legal Challenges ...................................................................................................................... 20 Nomination Day ............................................................................................20 Political and Social environment ......................................................................21 Media Coverage ............................................................................................21 Campaign period and Election Related Incidents ........................................................................... 23 Election Day Observers ..................................................................................25 Recruitment............................................................................................................................. 25 Relations between EAB and GECOM ............................................................................................ 26 Training................................................................................................................................... 26 Election Day arrangements ........................................................................................................ 27 EAB Elections Results Database ..................................................................................................28 4 QUALITY OF ELECTORAL PROCESS .....................................................29 GECOM’s Preparations for elections..................................................................29 Production of the voters’ list ...................................................................................................... 29 Preparations for polling day ....................................................................................................... 29 Acceptance of the results........................................................................................................... 30 Disciplined Services Voting .............................................................................30 The Conduct of the Poll ..................................................................................31 Proxy Voting ............................................................................................................................ 31 4 Electoral Assistance Bureau The Count ....................................................................................................31 Declaration of Results ....................................................................................32 EAB Volunteers .............................................................................................32 5 ANALYSIS OF RESULTS.......................................................................34 Comparative General Election Results by Region................................................34 Comparative Regional Elections Results by Region .............................................35 Voter turn out...............................................................................................36 Tendered Ballots ...........................................................................................36 Spoilt and Destroyed Ballots ...........................................................................36 Rejected Ballots ............................................................................................37 Balance of Ballot Papers.................................................................................38 Party Polling/COUNTING Agents and independent observers................................38 Independent Observers ............................................................................................................. 38 6 CONCLUSIONS AND APPRECIATION...................................................39 The Elections results......................................................................................39 Freedom to Campaign ............................................................................................................... 39 Freedom of the Media ............................................................................................................... 39 Opportunity to Register ............................................................................................................. 39 Disenfranchisement .................................................................................................................. 39 Freedom to Vote....................................................................................................................... 40 Multiple Voting ......................................................................................................................... 40 Polling Validity ......................................................................................................................... 40 Addition Checks on Returning Officers’ and Chief Election Officers’ Statements................................. 40 Appreciation and Overall Conclusions .......................................................................................... 40 7 RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................................43 ELECTORAL STRUCTURE ............................................................................43 Constitutional & Legal Framework....................................................................43 Administrative Structure ................................................................................43 Formation of the Elections Commission ............................................................44 Accreditation of Local and International Observers .............................................44 Voting Procedures .........................................................................................44 ELECTORAL PREPARATIONS......................................................................44 Voters’ list ...................................................................................................44 Media Coverage ............................................................................................46