OAS mission received no substantiated claim of poll fraud
Though weaknesses were seen in the system for retrieving and issuing results, the Organization of American States (OAS) observer mission received no substantiated claims of intentional fraud at the December 15 elections. This was revealed by Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Christopher Thomas at a special session yesterday of the Permanent Council on the post-election situation in Guyana. Thomas - who headed the OAS observer mission to the December 15 polls - said in a statement at the meeting that in contrast to the situation prior to the poll and during voting, certain weaknesses were witnessed in the "organization, management and execution of the collection, transmittal, verification and announcement of the results". This it said, coupled with significant delays in the unveiling of results from several areas "appears to have led to much of the uncertainty and unease in the country at the present time". Despite allegations of deliberate manipulation of results or other objections that were raised "no such substantiated claims were brought to the attention of the OAS mission", the statement said. The opposition People's National Congress has alleged massive rigging at the December 15 elections and has refused to accept the results. It has organised daily protests in the city over the elections. Thomas referred to a statement which had been issued by the OAS on the day of the election which said that the regional body was of the view that the Elections Commission had worked assiduously to ensure that all Guyanese were afforded an opportunity to vote. That statement had noted that the balloting was observed to be "free and secret". It added that while some concerns were raised, "the mission did not observe any serious widespread situation which could detract from the outcome of the electoral process". Thomas told the meeting at the General Secretariat of the OAS in Washington that the full report on the elections is currently being prepared and will be forwarded to the Permanent Council for its consideration by the end of January. He said the report will include recommendations for the further bolstering of Guyana's electoral administration. The OAS mission consisted of 28 observers from 10 countries. On polling day it visited 466 polling stations or 25% of the total. Chief of Mission was Ambassador Joseph Edmunds. The other international observer group from the Commonwealth Secretariat in its report had also identified shortcomings in the management of the results transmittal and verification. 
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