Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Guyana about the conduct of elections there, in particular regarding the case for an independent head of their Elections Commission.

The UK has been a strong and consistent advocate for free and fair elections in Guyana. We, and colleagues from other diplomatic missions and international organisations, closely monitored the run-up to, and conduct of, the general election in May 2015 and local elections in March 2016. Both were deemed free and fair. The process for selecting the new head of the Election Commission is clearly laid out in the Guyanese Constitution and the President is currently following that process. The British High Commissioner in Georgetown maintains a regular dialogue with the Government of Guyana at the highest level, including on issues such as the rule of law, good governance and tackling corruption, all of which are high priorities for the UK.