Ashcroft backs Carter Center in Guyana

In regional news, the Carter Center of Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to act as an observer in the upcoming elections in Guyana. The voting, scheduled for March nineteenth, follows widespread protests over the conduct of the election held in December 1997 and the subsequent mediation of CARICOM. The participation of the Carter Center, founded by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, comes at the invitation of the government of Guyana. A field office for the project will open shortly in Georgetown and four observers should be in place by early February to monitor the technical preparations for the balloting. A team of thirty will be working for the center in the field on election day. Funding for the Carter Center’s activities in Guyana is being provided by the Ashcroft Foundation. The foundation’s chairman, Michael Ashcroft–you can decide if he is a British Lord or a Belizean knight–said that the foundation’s support of the Carter Center’s efforts is part of his strong personal commitment to the Caribbean region.