Announcement of preliminary poll results delayed
– GECOM Chairman calls on entire nation to remain calm
– urges political parties, media  not to engage in anything that would generate tension or cause incitement
DELAYS in getting hard copies of Statements of Poll from yesterday’s general and regional elections have prevented the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from providing any preliminary results up to late last night, following the closing of  polls at 18:00 hrs.
Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, made this disclosure at a scheduled news conference at 23:00 hrs last night at the GECOM Media Centre based at the Pegasus hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
Dr. Surujbally explained that there were some conflicting reports that party agents and observers were not being allowed to observe the poll count and this took some time to be resolved. He also said there were some reports of “minor flare ups” but not in a “savage way.”
The GECOM Chairman, however, appealed to the entire nation in the meantime to remain calm, exhorting political parties not to engage in anything that would generate tension and not to speak or act in any way that could cause incitement.
Amidst the anxiety, Dr Surujbally urged the nation to do everything to maintain peace and tranquility announcing that, at a press conference scheduled for 09:00 hrs this morning, GECOM should be in a position to declare substantial preliminary results and there would be continuous, periodic reports of the election results.
Although too early to tell, especially in the absence of official preliminary results from GECOM, this newspaper was privy to unofficial results around 3:00 hrs this morning which indicates that the incumbent PPP/C is leading in the polls. 
Meanwhile, Mr. John Enright from the Organisation of American States (OAS) Observer Mission told the Guyana Chronicle last night, that his team would not make a comprehensive pronouncement on the conduct of the elections until GECOM releases the official results.
However, he said that the OAS team is satisfied that the electoral process went well and from field reports received there were no major hiccups, but more tangible reports will be forthcoming.