OAS congratulates new President

The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, has congratulated the new President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on his election.

The OAS has closely monitored the situation in Guyana since the polls closed on the night of March 2, 2020.

“We are happy that the multiple calls by the General Secretariat, national stakeholders and bilateral and multilateral partners, for the genuine results of the elections to be respected, were heard by GECOM,” Almagro said in a statement.

He added: “The OAS congratulates the people of Guyana for their patience. We also congratulate the GECOM Chair, Justice Ret’d Claudette Singh, for remaining true to her convictions and standing firm against the many efforts to undermine the will of the people.”

Almagro said democracy in Guyana was put to the test in this process and although it ultimately prevailed, it is clear there are weaknesses in Guyana’s electoral system that must be addressed.

“In the coming months we will issue our final report on the 2020 process with recommendations that can assist in addressing these weaknesses and avoiding a similar situation in the future.”