Police patrols to be stepped up in Region 3
FOUR campaign billboards and 60 per cent of flags mounted by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) were lost on Monday night alone, in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara).
The disclosure was made by the PPP/C regional representative, Irfaan Ali, who in an invited comment last night,added that up to 21:00hrs there were additional reports of destruction of the party’s campaign materials.
“Tonight (last night) already we have had additional reports that our flags have I have spoken to the Commander in this district, Commander Marlon Chapman, and he has assured that the police will step up patrols to ensure that this does not reoccur,” he said.
The ‘D’ Division Commander, last evening, told the Guyana Chronicle that the “appropriate action” will be taken by ranks if, during the patrols, unusual activity is observed, relative to the destruction of election campaign paraphernalia.
The police action followed four reports made by PPP/C activists regarding the destruction of campaign materials.
Activists aligned with the political Opposition were seen on the West Coast of Demerara, between Cornelia Ida and Blankenburg, late Monday night, removing the flags of the ruling PPP/C. The PPP/C flags were being replaced with those of the alliance of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
In the last week, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has made public advertisements warning against such endeavours. The law on activities like removing, damaging or defacing any election campaign material is clear: those acts are criminal.

(Vanessa Narine)