GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Incumbent President, Irfaan Ali, was among five presidential candidates who have so far cast their ballots in Monday’s general and regional elections in Guyana.
Apart from Ali, who is representing the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) the other candidates are Aubrey Norton of the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Azruddin Mohamed of the We Invest in Nationanhood (WIN) party and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), candidate, Amanza Walton-Desir.
The leader of the Assembly for Liberty & Prosperity (ALP) movement, Dr. Simona Broomes, has yet to cast a vote.
Ali, speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, said he is confident of victory with the ruling party having conducted a “fantastic campaign.
“We ran a very positive campaign. A campaign based on track record, a campaign based on trust and commitment…and unity,” Ali said, urging supporters to “come out in your numbers and seal this victory.
“We are very confident about the victory …but as I said, sealing the victory is important and that requires all our supporters to come out and seal the victory with their vote”.
President Ali said he was also concerned about the incident that occurred on Sunday when the members of the Joint Security Forces and electoral officials came under gunfire from the Venezuelan shoreline.
“It is concerning … the security forces are on full alert…and we have to understand the threat of Venezuela. We have been speaking about this throughout the campaign that Venezuela is a threat, and we have to look at every single connection to that threat, and the security forces are on top of it,” Ali told reporters.
After casting his ballot, Norton told reporters he was concerned at the positioning of the voting booth, saying that it did not adequately conceal the voter’s body.
“Outside of that, it looks normal,” he said, telling reporters that the elections are of great significance in managing Guyana’s oil wealth responsibly in the future.
“These elections are critical because they’re an opportunity to ensure there is a reallocation of the resources that come from oil to the people of Guyana. It is the first general election after the utilization of oil resources, and we’ve had the opportunity to show the Guyanese people that resources from oil and gas are not reaching them,” Norton said.
Regarding the shooting incident involving the Venezuelans, Norton said, “I’ve always argued that we need to have technology installed at the border areas so that we can monitor and respond to developments.”
Mohamed, who was among those casting his ballot early after the polling station at the Eccles Nursery School, East Bank Demerara, opened, described the process as “a bit slow” but urged voters to carry out their duty.
“I hope that it can be faster throughout the country because we want everyone to cast their vote before 6.00 pm (local time). I want to encourage everyone to come out early and exercise their right,” Mohamed said.
For his part, Hughes, who voted at the Lions Club of Central Demerara Building in Mocha, East Bank Demerara, said the process was “flawless,” despite minor discomforts at the polling station.
“I think the AFC has done better than most people expected. There is a blackout, and all the agents are very hot. Still, the rest of the process went flawlessly,” said the prominent attorney, who, like Ali and Norton, condemned the recent attack on the Joint Services and cautioned Guyanese about possible destabilisation attempts from Venezuela.
“We need to be prepared for Venezuela to take several acts to destabilise. We have to be wary about cyber interventions and other disruptions, particularly through social media,” Hughes said.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, has defended the use of body cameras by the Police, after the APNU issued a statement calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to instruct its members not to use the cameras in polling places.
“We have received several reports across the country from voters who feel uncomfortable and concerned that their privacy is being invaded. We wish to advise the Police that they should only activate their cameras during incidents or unusual activities. Otherwise, their cameras should be switched off,” APNU said.
But Gunraj, who said he was speaking in his personal capacity, explained that the use of the body cameras is “standard police protocol and I don’t believe it breaches the secrecy of the polling station”.
He reminded that GECOM’s move to prohibit the use of cellphones and cameras was explicitly for the voting compartment and the intention is to protect the secrecy of the ballot.
Nevertheless, Gunraj said the processes across the country so far are progressing well and is encouraging all eligible voters to ensure they participate in their civic duty.
“People have lost their lives to ensure we have a right to vote today. In that vein, my simple request would be for people to come out and exercise their civic duty by voting and then go back home. It’s a public holiday,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chair of the Carter Center Election Observation Mission, Jason Carter, said the mission’s preliminary findings of the September 1 elections could be released as early as Wednesday.
Carter said the 40-member Carter Center team has been deployed across every region and tabulation center, working alongside other international observers and engaging with political parties.
“We’re not going to draw any conclusions, of course, until after the day is over and after the tabulation process is complete,” Carter told reporters.
The Carter Center is among several regional and international observers monitoring the elections. Carter said his team’s preliminary statement will be released on election day and will outline the tabulation process. Then, “we issue a full report once we have a chance to really compile all of the information”.
The head of the European Union Elections Observation Mission, Robert Biedroń, said that its 50-member team had observed the smooth opening of polling stations.
Biedroń told reporters that members of his team were present “from the very early morning” and that “we are gathering information, observing the elections…
“This will give us an obvious picture of the voting process from all of the regions of the country,” Biedroń said, adding that the team will also monitor the tabulation of the votes at the regional level to provide a comprehensive assessment of the process.
“We provide impartial, factual reports which are very valuable, I believe, for this country. Our presence aims to contribute to a better understanding of the electoral process and, over time, support its improvements,” Biedroń said, urging that the polls are carried out in a peaceful environment.
“It’s essential for us. We are really keeping fingers crossed for a peaceful and joyful election. It’s a day to celebrate democracy, a day where voters can make their free and well-informed choices through casting their ballot,” he said.
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