GUYANA-ELECTIONS-Opposition presidential candidate confident of victory

SOURCE-CMC – The Presidential Candidate for the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic, (PPP/C), Irfaan Ali, Monday said he is confident of victory in the regional and general election.

Ali, a former housing minister, accompanied by his wife, voted in his hometown of Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara.

“We are on track and we are very confident. Our supporters are coming out in their numbers and I think we are heading for victory today,” Ali told reporters.

Lenora Ali and Irfaan Ali voted earlier today. ( Photo -Newsroom)

But he said that he has received some reports of some voters having to wait long in lines and receiving wrong information about their polling stations, but those reports are being investigated.

“Voters would have related to us that they are getting misleading information and they are going to the wrong lines…a lot of those reports came from the East Coast Demerara”.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, PPP/C general secretary and former president, Bharrat Jagdeo appealed to voters to remain in the line to ensure that they vote in the election.

“The General Secretary is urging you to stand your ground in the face of attempts to frustrate you from casting your ballots. The process might be slow, the lines might be long, but please bear up. Your vote is important,” the statement read.

Ali said he was also appealing for persons to assist others who may be in need of transportation and assistance to get to their polling place.

“We are all Guyanese and we have to live together,” he said, urging however that the electoral process should be respected.

“In all our elections, the PPP has always remained peaceful. Our interest is a free and fair process, free and fair elections and at the end of the day once we achieve this as a country and a people we have to accept the results”.

Meanwhile, officials from the US-based Carter Centre, which is among a number of local, regional and international groups monitoring the elections, said that they have been encouraged by the turn out to date.

“What we have seen so far is only a little snippet of the whole election and so we think people need to be patient,” said Jason J. Carter in response to questions to reporters that some voters have complained about long lines.

Former Senegal prime minister, Aminata Touré, who like Carter is a co-leader of the team here, said “this is a big day for Guyanese democracy and my message to the Guyanese people is to go out and vote.

“We do know that through democracy, we build our nation as one nation, and it is very important that people go out and vote. Young people, women and the elderly and people living with a handicap, and I also ask them to be patient because elections are also about being patient,” she added.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said that there are an estimated 2, 339 polling stations scattered across the country. Tents have also been erected to serve as polling stations and GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh said that security had been beefed up at all polling stations.

GECOM held a news conference on Monday and said they were pleased with the process of voting and had little to no complaints from the estimated 661,000 persons eligible to cast ballots in the election.

GECOM said that nine political parties are contesting the general elections, while 11 are participating in the regional poll.

Political observers say the contest is a straight fight between the ruling coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) headed by President David Granger and the PPP/C.