President urges citizens, political leaders to act responsibly & accept election results peacefully

President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Sunday issued a national appeal for calm, responsibility, and unity as Guyanese prepare to head to the polls on Monday for the General and Regional Elections.

Calling on citizens, political leaders, and activists to act with restraint and maturity, the Head of State stressed that democracy must be safeguarded by both respect for the process and acceptance of the outcome.

“Elections should not be a contest to divide us, but a mechanism to unify us under the banner of democratic sovereignty,” President Ali declared in his televised address to the nation less than 24 hours before the electorate heads to the polls.

He urged every eligible voter to cast their ballot with confidence, dignity, and respect for the choices of others.

“Vote free from fear, vote free from intimidation. Vote with assurance that your choice is yours alone,” he said, adding, “And it is the right of your neighbour to make his or her choice and be respected as zealously as your own. It is our solemn duty to respect each other’s choice, but even more so, to respect the collective will of the people.”

While affirming that law enforcement agencies stand ready to protect peace and security, President Ali made clear that the greater responsibility rests with citizens themselves.

“Peace will prevail, not because it is enforced, but because it is embraced,” he noted.

The President specifically called on political leaders and activists to temper their rhetoric and avoid actions that could incite conflict.

“Let us avoid inflammatory rhetoric. Let us respect the rules of the electoral process. Let us temper our passion and allow good sense and decency to guide our actions,” Ali appealed.

He reminded the nation that the right to vote was won through sacrifice and must be honoured with respect for the collective will of the people.

“To reject this right is to dishonour their sacrifice, to surrender it carelessly is to imperil our sovereignty,” he warned.

President Ali urged that the conduct of the polls set the tone for the future, a spirit of collaboration and unity above division.

“When the ballots are counted and the results declared, let us not allow bitterness, enmity, or disappointment to stain the process… Let us give our children the example of a people who can disagree without discord, who can contest without contempt, and who can choose without chaos.

“I urge that through our actions, we ensure that these elections are peaceful and orderly; that our democracy once more prevails with honour and that our motherland emerges stronger and more united,” the Head of State concluded.