OAS gives praise to SVG Electoral process

Frank Almaguer, Chief of the OAS Observer Mission to St.Vincent and the Grenadines, during the December 13 General Elections, has characterized the elections as “a well-managed electoral process”.{{more}}

Almaguer, in his election report, noted that this facilitated the counting of the votes and the delivery of the results in what turned out to be a highly competitive election.

He also said that the environment in which the voting took place was “orderly and peaceful,” and that there were no reported instances of violence or voter intimidation.

The head of the OAS OM, made up of 11 observers from seven different countries, recommended that St.Vincent and the Grenadines consider the adoption of legislation on political campaign financing, requiring the disclosure of contributors, campaign expenditures and provisions that guarantee access to the media.

He also had some recommendations for the Electoral Office. He encouraged the Electoral Office to redouble the efforts to clean up the voters’ list; to ensure that all eligible citizens have obtained their voter identification card, so that this may be the only form of identification used; to ensure greater uniformity and standardization of procedures among the polling sites; and to improve voter access to the polling sites, especially for voters who are physically challenged and the elderly.

Meanwhile, Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the OAS Ambassador La Celia Prince has thanked OAS Observer Mission for the work that was carried out here. She asserted that her government “regards the OAS as a necessary partner in giving credence and validity to our democratic process.”

On the subject of the elections of December 13, 2010, the eighth general elections since the independence of this country in October 1979, Prince highlighted that it was the first time in the history of a Commonwealth Caribbean country that a government was victorious in returning to office through general elections, shortly after having lost a referendum.