(E-102-01) May 10, 2001 OAS REPORT HAILS ORDERLY, PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN GUYANA The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) considered the general elections held in Guyana last March 19 to be "orderly, peaceful and largely incident-free."     That was the essence of an oral report Elizabeth Spehar, Executive Coordinator of the Organization's Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD), delivered to the Permanent Council at its meeting Wednesday.  The UPD had organized the team of OAS monitors that numbered 33 on Election Day, covering some 25 per cent of the polling stations.  "The shortcomings experienced did not detract from what was, in the main, a satisfactory process," declared Spehar to the Council of the hemispheric diplomats.  She noted too that on Election Day itself, the OAS observers had put particular scrutiny on the procedures within the Election Commission's computer room, which had been the subject of various rumors.    As to the accusation from certain media personalities that the election officials of had been using computers to generate incorrect vote tallies, Spehar said:  "The OAS observers found that the Commission had abandoned the use of computers to tally the results from the regions shortly after the polls had closed.   Unfortunately this information did not get out to the general public quickly."  The incumbent People's Progressive Party (PPP)/Civic won slightly more than 53 per cent of the votes cast, with the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC)/Reform coalition obtaining almost 42 per cent.  Guyana's Ambassador Dr. Odeen Ishmael hailed the OAS report as "a very clear reflection of what occurred before, during and after the election."  Citing other observer groups--the Commonwealth, the Carter Center and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)--he said that, "like the Organization of American States, all have declared very firmly that the elections reflected the free will of the Guyanese people."  Ishmael thanked the OAS for its participation in the election monitoring process in his country, and noted that the statement by OAS Secretary general a few weeks ago in the wake of the incidents, "have been well heeded and there is utmost respect for the Organization of American States as it has voiced its concerns over these incidents."  Ambassador Humberto de la Calle of Colombia chaired the meeting of the Permanent Council which noted the report and the comments by member state representatives who reaffirmed their support for the UPD.   ********