Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, was the first to cast a ballot at the Guyana Defence Force’s Base Camp Ayanganna headquarters on Friday
Over 3000 officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks were listed to vote on Friday as more than 10,000 members of the Disciplined Forces exercised their franchise across the country.
Over at the GDF’s Base Camp Ayanganna headquarters in Georgetown, Chief-of-Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, was the first to cast a ballot in what he described as an “organised and smooth” process.
Speaking with reporters earlier in the day, the Chief of Defence Staff had assured that soldiers are allowed to freely exercise their democratic right to vote for any political party of their choice.
“Throughout the day, soldiers will decide without coercion [and] vote as their right is so deemed… There is no particular agenda. Every day, every officer gets up…and [is] ready to serve the people of Guyana. Every soldier has a right to exercise their vote as they see fit. There is no coercion, there is no influence, and all the soldiers here are doing just that and across the force,” Brigadier Khan stressed.
Khan told this publication on Friday evening that the process remained smooth and organised, adding that there was a “healthy” turnout.
“We had a smooth conduct of voting. As a matter of fact, I believe we had a healthy turnout. I haven’t gotten the statistics as yet, but it was a healthy turnout at all the locations.”
Soldiers lined up to cast their votes in the 2025 elections at GDF’s Base Camp Ayanganna
There were a total of 24 polling places at various GDF locations across the country, with three located at Base Camp Ayanganna. The Army Chief confirmed that the hinterland locations opened polls on time and the voting process was smooth there as well.
“I want to thank all those who were responsible for ensuring that this was done successfully… GECOM and their staff would have done the necessary transportation, and the necessary material and equipment would’ve been prepositioned less for the ballots, which were escorted by the Guyana Police Force along with members from GECOM,” he explained.
Officers who did not get a chance to vote on Friday, including those who are in some remote locations and overseas who are set to return in the coming days, will be allowed to cast their ballots with the general public on the September 1, 2025, election day.
Members of the Disciplined Services – the GDF, along with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) – are required to vote 10 days prior to election day so that they are available for taking up posts at the various polling stations and other strategic locations as required by law without disenfranchising them.
Smooth process
Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Warde, also told the Guyana Times on Friday evening that the D-Day activities were “generally a smooth process.”
Earlier in the day, Warde had explained that on D-Day, officers are given the opportunity to vote in the districts where they are stationed, but using ballots from the districts where they are registered on the Official List of Electors (OLE).
“Upon the close of poll [on Friday], when those ballots are returned, those ballots will be sorted by the respective district, and they will be placed in secured custody according to districts. We have gazetted the list of polling stations where those ballots will be intermixed on election day… So, those ballots will be counted in the respective districts where the officers are registered to vote,” Warde noted.
According to the GECOM PRO, some Joint Services officers had raised concerns about their ballots not being stamped. However, she clarified that ballots are stamped with the six-digit number of their respective polling stations on election day before being placed in the ballot boxes and intermixed for counting at the close of polls.
“That is what the legal process is allowed for, and that is exactly what we will be doing,” the GECOM official stated.
Another minor issue that came up on Friday’s D-Day was the failure of some political parties that are contesting the elections to issue accreditation letters to their agents to enter the polling stations to observe the process. Although these agents’ names were submitted prior to GECOM and are on a “master list”, they were still required to show the accreditation letters from their parties in order to gain access into the polling stations.
Nevertheless, GECOM’s Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Aneal Giddings, assured that this matter was dealt with immediately. According to the DCEO, the Elections Commission will be engaging the six political parties that are contesting the upcoming polls to avoid a reoccurrence of this on election day and ensure a smooth process.
“We would have to have a meeting with all of the election agents – as you know, there are six – to ensure that they do what they’re required to do and we do the same,” Giddings pointed out.
Meanwhile, several representatives of the various political parties, including Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr Irfaan Ali, also visited Camp Ayanganna on Friday morning.
Ali told reporters, “So far, we have observed a process that is smooth, very efficient… From all the reports we’re having across the country, there is nothing to create any uneasiness at the moment.”
WIN candidate “misleading”, “dishonourable”
On Friday afternoon, Brigadier Khan clarified that a handshake with candidate of the WIN party, United States (US)-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, during the Joint Services voting process at Base Camp Ayanganna was a simple act of courtesy and not a show of political support.
Brigadier Khan explained that the greeting was initiated by Mohamed but stressed that neither he nor the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) endorses or supports any political party or candidate.
“It has since come to my attention that this moment is being twisted and used for political gain on social media by the WIN Presidential candidate,” Khan said in a statement. “Let it be clear, neither I nor the Guyana Defence Force as an institution supports or endorses any political party or candidate. The Force stands firm, neutral, patriotic, and loyal to the constitution and the people of Guyana.”
He further described the attempt to politicise the interaction as “misleading” and “dishonourable”, stressing that it goes against the values of honesty and respect that Guyana’s democracy deserves.
