C'wealth observers cite PPP/C's access to state resources advantage

From : Demerara Waves Written by Kwesi Isles

Wednesday, 30 November 2011 10:44

Commonwealth observers here for the general elections say the 2011 polls have built on those of 2006 as it relates to democratic growth but stopped short of endorsing it as entirely fair.

According to a statement read by Head of mission Denis Marshall, the Code of Conduct for Political Parties was a positive but there were concerns raised that it was not fully adhered to and that state resources were used in the interest of the ruling party.

He noted that the media code of conduct commits the media to provide “balanced, fair and accurate information” as well as an “equitable share of election coverage to all registered parties” but there remains a lack of impartiality especially as it relates to the state TV, radio and newspaper.

“As a consequence of the overt media bias and the  resources at the disposal of the incumbent there was not a sufficiently level playing field for the campaign. While thedevelopment of codes of conduct for parties and media is welcomed it is not enough for them to merely to be signed by stakeholders. Such codes must also be respected, andwhere necessary, include mechanisms for enforcement,”Marshall stated.

GECOM appeared to be well prepared for the election, he said, adding that voting proceeded “generally smoothly” on Election Day.

“Commonwealth teams followed the count at polling stations and reported that the process was transparent and electoral officials worked diligently to complete the count at  the polling station level. The final aggregation is ongoing and has been affected somewhat by the large number of recounts requested by the PPP/C, but we continue to follow this critical aspect,” Marshall said.