(E-101/01) May 9, 2001   OAS REAFFIRMS VINCENTIAN ELECTION RESULTS The Organization of American States today reaffirmed the assessment from its preliminary report that the results of the recent general elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines reflected the will of the electorate. Steven Griner, who headed the OAS Electoral Observation Mission to the March 28, 2001, exercise, made the assertion in an oral report to the Permanent Council as he detailed the work done by the team that also involved former Suriname Prime Minister Wim Udenhout as special guest. The Mission also commended the work of the Caribbean country's electoral officials, including their effort to ensure transparency in the process and the cooperation they lent the OAS observers. Responding to the report, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Alternate Representative to the OAS, Fitz Bramble, thanked the observer missions, including the OAS, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Vincentian-based National Monitoring and Consultative Mechanism. They "were extremely satisfied with the process and outcome of the March 28 elections," he added. He affirmed that "the results of the elections accurately reflect the will of the people," underscoring the peaceful, participatory democratic undertakings of the citizens, which resulted in the elections. He also cited the process as evidence that "true and meaningful democracy is alive and well in our small state," noting how easily the democratic process in small countries such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines can be "railroaded and eroded." Mr. Bramble also announced that the new Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, recognized the need "to strengthen democracy in the emerging global context if it is to create prosperity and realize human potential," and has thus approached the OAS for assistance with constitutional reform, debate on which is now underway.   **********

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