Ambassadorial envoys, observer teams are all urging that the elections results should be accepted and respected.The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), through Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, mounted a 10-member CARICOM Election Observation Mission (CEOM) to observe the General and Regional Elections of Guyana on Monday 11 May, 2015.
This Mission was headed by Mr Earl Simpson, Deputy Director of Elections, Electoral Office, Jamaica; and Ms Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer, Elections and Boundaries Department, Belize, with other members of the mission comprising officials from the CARICOM Member States of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.
On Election Day, the team visited a total of 224 polling stations within 87 polling places in Regions 4, 6 and 10.
According to an interim statement from the Mission, excerpted as follows, in the majority of cases, the political party agents of the PPP/C and APNU + AFC were present. The various signage and instructions to the electors were posted. Election Staff carried out the opening of the poll procedures as instructed. All polling stations that they observed opened at 6:00 hrs with lines of enthusiastic voters present.
Their findings revealed that at the polling stations they visited they observed that the polling station staff was properly trained in the execution of their duties. In addition, they were courteous and provided assistance to incapacitated voters. They informed voters of the voting process in an impartial and transparent manner.  The voting process was conducted according to the procedures and guidelines outlined by GECOM.
They observed that, at 6:00 pm, the polling station staff declared the polling station closed and that they conducted the close of poll in accordance with the procedures and guidelines outlined by GECOM.
After the close of poll procedures, the ballot boxes were opened in the presence of the political party agents and observers and the ballots were counted. Again, the polling station staff followed procedures and guidelines outlined by GECOM.
The results of the count were recorded on the Statement of Poll.  All parties present signed the document and copies were given to the political party agents and posted at the entrance of the polling stations.
They concluded that the voting process was transparent, free and fair, that the secrecy of the ballot was protected and respected, and urged that the results will be accepted and respected.
British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, has commended GECOM for the successful completion of voting in Guyana’s general and regional elections on 11 May and is urging all parties and their supporters to have patience and give the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) the space and respect it needs to accurately tally the votes.
He is also encouraging all Guyanese, and their political leaders, to avoid any actions which could lead to violence.  Stressing that he deplores election-related violence that has taken place, he advised that all stakeholders do what they can to promote reconciliation and a peaceful conclusion to the electoral process.
This call was reiterated by the U.S. Embassy, which has extended congratulations to the Guyanese people on the democratic process that they observed in last Monday’s elections.
The release stated in part, “The Guyana Elections Commission has once again done a credible job in ensuring that this critical election day phase of the process was free and fair. It dealt effectively with the challenges posed by high voter turnout and community exuberance in a manner that has ensured the integrity of the vote. We would like to congratulate Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, and the Commissioners and staff of the Guyana Elections Commission for their successful organisation of these polls.”
The US Embassy is also calling on all Guyanese to remain patient and to avoid any actions that could provoke conflict or violence. They expressed the hope “… that political leaders on all sides will remain proactively engaged with their respective supporters in order to promote calm and reconciliation.  When the final tally is known, we call on all political parties to accept the ultimate results, to encourage their supporters to do the same, and to resolve any outstanding disputes through the established judicial process.”
Similar sentiments are being expressed from various individuals and bodies nationally, regionally, and internationally.
The eyes of the world are on Guyana. Our maturity as a nation is being tested through our actions and reactions during this election. We will be judged on the world stage by an audience that has expanded through the sophistication of modern communication technologies. Already our image has been sullied somewhat, but this can be rectified if we pull together as a united nation with one common destiny in this land we all call home and put the good of this home, and the welfare of our families, individually and collectively, before any other consideration.
Recourse to any other consideration that will impel aggressive and destructive actions in our country against our fellow citizens will cause inestimable losses, because violent episodes in any dynamic bodes ill for everyone.
Differences there will always be, but ours is a democratic country and our freedom was dearly won. With this freedom comes the responsibility not to transgress against the right of anyone. The right for everyone to exercise their franchise in an atmosphere that is free and fair and free from fear should be zealously guarded, because these rights were not gifts, but won by the freedom fighters of the nation.