Media Center

Press Release

OAS SATISFIED WITH RESULTS OF 2006 ELECTION BANNER YEAR IN THE AMERICAS

“We are very satisfied with the final results of the elections,” the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, said today, reviewing the 2006 election banner year in the Americas. During a forum at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, Insulza underscored the positive results of the elections and the role of the OAS in observing many of them. “In general, the people of Latin America and the Caribbean can be satisfied with their election year,” he said.

The OAS Secretary General said the challenge now pertains to “the second part of democracy”—for example, how those elected will govern and how the rules of the Inter-American Democratic Charter will be applied.

In a wide-ranging presentation on last year’s elections in a number of member states—notably in Chile, Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela and Saint Lucia, among others—the Secretary General observed that by and large they turned out well. He said the results, many of them in closely contested races, were respected, even in instances where problems had been anticipated, such as in the case of Haiti and Guyana.

At the forum, moderated by Inter-American Dialogue President Peter Hakim, Insulza talked about “The 2006 Elections: Difficult Cases for the OAS.” He discussed the characteristics of each electoral process that the OAS observed, stressing that the broad acceptance of the results by citizens of the respective countries contributed to the year’s positive outcome.

In the case of Nicaragua, Insulza noted that the elections unfolded positively in terms of procedures and voter turnout. He said the OAS had been in permanent contact with the electoral authorities and underscored the significant level of cooperation and acceptance by these authorities of all suggestions made by the OAS. Insulza concluded that “at the end of the day, the election—which was not perfect—was so well-run and was so open that nobody could say anything.”

Insulza said the situation in Ecuador was less difficult from the OAS point of view, despite certain issues that arose. The satisfactory result, he added, was due in part to the sizable majority with which the winner emerged in the second round of votes. In Haiti, where problems had been expected, the electoral process also had a generally positive outcome, Insulza said, and in the case of Guyana the voting took place peacefully, despite initial fears of possible violence.

With respect to Venezuela, Insulza said the OAS accepted the invitation to observe the December presidential elections because “we have an obligation to fulfill and that’s what we did.” He singled out two issues of particular interest to the OAS monitors: ensuring that the balloting was secret and not subject to pressure; and that the results reflected a proper count. “In our opinion, and this was reflected by the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in its report, the presidential election was carried out according to minimum standards and the result was legitimate,” despite certain problems, Insulza stated.

The forum brought together a range of regional experts, media, and political analysts who exchanged ideas, including a suggestion that the OAS electoral observation process become an independent activity, along the lines of the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Insulza also talked about the need to continue to support member states in their responsibility to improve their voter lists.

Reference: E-006/07