…after missing out at last Friday’s poll

MEMBERS of the Disciplined Services, based at Eteringbang in Upper Mazaruni, were unable to vote last Friday, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) disclosed, after being pressed for answers.

More than 8,000 members of the Joint Services went to the polls last Friday, ahead of the March 2 General and Regional Elections, and it was expected that those ranks in Eteringbang would have voted as well but they were unable to do so.
GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, on Wednesday, explained that the plane, which was transporting the electoral officials to Eteringbang, was unable to land. “The pilot advised that he could not land there and returned to GT. Thirty-five (35) police officers and eight soldiers did not vote,” Ward told media operatives. The plane’s inability to land meant that the electoral officials could not have facilitated elections in the area, and as such, voting did not take place in Eteringbang.

In an effort to remedy the situation, GECOM, Ward further disclosed, will provide transportation to the 43 affected members of the Joint Services. “GECOM would be transporting those persons from that location to their respective polling stations to vote on E-day,” she posited.

It was the same aircraft that was unable to accommodate the party agents, on the day the Joint Services casted their votes, because of excess weight. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had complained bitterly that its agent was left behind but GECOM explained that a decision was taken that no party agent would be on the flight.
“The decision was taken after the pilot of the aircraft notified the team of officials from GECOM that all the scheduled passengers would not be able to make the flight since the weight was already above the 600lbs payload,” GECOM had explained.

It was noted that the passengers who were scheduled to be on the flight included the GECOM’s balloting officers, Commissioner Vincent Alexander, a police officer and three agents representing the APNU+AFC, PPP/C and URP respectively. “The pilot advised that two persons would not be able go on the flight. As such, it was decided that rather than taking one agent and leaving two, no agent was on the flight,” GECOM said.

Noting that it was appalled by the claims made in reports that the PPP’s agent was ejected from the flight, GECOM said Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, held a meeting with the elections agents of all political parties on February 15, 2020 to provide details pertaining to the operational activities for the conduct of Disciplined Services balloting and polling day for General and Regional Elections.

Notwithstanding the challenges encountered, there was a high voters’ turnout. According to GECOM, of the 10,226 eligible voters from the Disciplined Services, a total of 8,369 persons or 81.8 per cent voted. Statistics recorded by GECOM’s Secretariat indicate that from the Guyana Police Force, 5,400 or 80.6 per cent of eligible voters casted their ballots while 2,539 or 83.6 per cent of eligible voters within the Guyana Defence Force, voted. Four hundred and thirty (430) or 88.1 per cent of the officers attached to the Guyana Prison Service casted their ballots on Friday. A total of 86 polling stations were made available by GECOM at various locations across the country for members of the Disciplined Services.

Chairperson of the GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and several of her commissioners expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Joint Services voting on Friday.

Notably, the less than 2,000 members of the Disciplinary Services who were unable to vote on Friday, February 21, 2020 would be given the opportunity to cast their ballots on Monday next, when the masses will go to the polls.

In total, there are 11 political parties contesting the General and Regional Elections. Those parties include the ruling party – A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic – the main opposition political party, A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Change Guyana, The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), The New Movement (TNM) and Liberty and Justice Party (LJP).