Jagdeo reports smooth voting process with only minor issues

General Secretary of the PPP/C, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, cast his ballot on Monday afternoon at the St. Paul’s Primary School in Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara and expressed strong confidence in a victory for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) while urging supporters to turn out in large numbers.

Jagdeo told the media that reports from across the country so far indicate a smooth voting process with only minor issues.

“It is a great day for Guyana, and so far from all I have been hearing, apart from the minor glitches, things are going well across the country. We urge people to come out and vote,” Jagdeo said.

He added that the PPP/C has been closely monitoring voter turnout, which he said has been encouraging so far.

“The PPP is very confident going into these elections largely because of our track record and what we continue to offer to the people of this country, but elections are won based on the votes cast and so, I urge all the PPP supporters to get out and vote. Let us cement this victory.

“So far, what I have seen today, it is heading in one direction, it is a PPP/C victory,” the General Secretary said.

He acknowledged that ‘minor’ issues arose at some polling stations, including malfunctioning stamps and slow processing times, but said that these were normal on Election Day.

“There are several reports that are not unusual on polling day, and I do not want to elevate them to intractable problems,” Jagdeo said, adding that all matters are addressed promptly by GECOM when they are identified.

Meanwhile, pointing to an incident in Sophia where the Presidential Candidate of APNU, Aubrey Norton, allegedly tried to rearrange furniture inside a polling station, Jagdeo said: “GECOM intervened and we chose not to elevate it into anything major, but he should not have done that.”

He also spoke of systems put in place for these elections to minimise opportunities for “capricious action” by any actor, including polling agents and GECOM staff.

Jagdeo said he has been assessing reports since 4 am and believes voters are making conscious decisions about the country’s future. He appealed to first-time voters to think carefully about which political party offers the best development plan.

Jagdeo also commended the police and army for maintaining order since polls opened at 6 am.