Elections Support and Democratic Development

The goal of this project is to strengthen the democratic system in Guyana. The project aims to support the holding of free and fair elections that are in accordance with Guyanese laws and international standards. It also provides support in the post-election period to strengthen Guyana's democratic institutions. Election materials and technical assistance were provided to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) during the 2001 elections through an initiative implemented by Elections Canada. The project also encompasses several initiatives that supported a free fair and transparent electoral process during the 2006 elections. These initiatives include contributions to the Commonwealth Secretariat for a long-term election observer and to the Organization of American States (OAS) for an electoral observation mission. CIDA's contribution to the OAS represented one third of the total cost of the mission and one-fifth of the 120 international observers who participated in the mission were Canadians.