Disciplined Services vote at LGE 2018
…unsatisfactory answers from GECOM – Jagdeo
– GECOM to investigate
Disciplined Services voting for Local Government Elections got underway on Friday; but there was some worry, with even the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) acknowledging the low voter turnout evident for much of the day.
However, ever more worrisome was the fact that a large number of ranks reported that they turned up to vote but their names were not on the list. 
This publication caught up with GECOM Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, at the Brickdam Police Station, where he went to observe the operation. At Brickdam, two polling stations were set up for the Police to vote, but few ranks could be observed voting, when this publication arrived.
When asked, Patterson acknowledged the low turnout of disciplined services ranks to vote. He remained optimistic, however, that the traffic would pick up and more persons would turn out to vote.
“My initial reflex action observation is it’s too slow. But then I remember these are the forces that have to do duties as well as vote. So I suppose they had to be there early in the morning to do traffic duties and so on.”
Patterson was also asked directly whether he was confident in the amount of voter education exercise undertaken. However, he maintained that GECOM did all it could to raise awareness of the Local Government Elections.
“I’m not confident, I’m more than confident; because we have gone out of the way to use — some people might say abuse — the media, and our staff have been on orders to spread the message. So I have confidence that we have done our part… can’t do more than that,” he opined.
Meanwhile, GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Warde addressed concerns about certain ranks being unable to vote. She claimed that GECOM received only two reports of ranks turning up to vote only to find their names are not on the list. She noted that the issue will be looked into, and if need be, such ranks will be accommodated on November 12.
Investigation
When this publication visited the Guyana Defence Force’s headquarters at Base Camp Ayanganna, voting was slow-paced. Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, who was present there, explained that he was going around ensuring that there are adequate statutory forms available, especially in Georgetown, for those who are voting without ID cards.
Further, the Chief Elections Officer explained that the polls opened on time, and that the turnout had been low earlier in the day.
Lowenfield also referred to instances when the names of ranks were omitted from the voters list. He promised that this would have to be investigated, but could not give an explanation for the missing names.
Seeking answers
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Firday took GECOM to task for the missing names. He added that he also had received information that there have been over 100 reports of this occurring, in sharp contrast to the two reports cited by Warde.
“I am very unhappy with a situation that was brought to our attention today (Friday),” Jagdeo stated. “We have received over a hundred reports where soldiers and Police turned up to vote and were told that they will be unable to do so since their names were not on the list to vote today, although they had done so in 2015 and 2016 on D- day.”
“So far we have sought answers from GECOM. The explanations are not satisfactory. We will follow this matter intensely over the next few days, to ensure that no member of the disciplined services is disenfranchised,” he added.
Linden
Meanwhile, it was a smooth process of voting for members of the Disciplined Forces in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) on Friday. The region recorded no major hiccups as members of the forces turned out to vote at the six polling places across the region.
Polling places had been set up at the Wismar and Mackenzie Police Stations, and at Linden, Ituni, Mabura, Kwakwani and Aroaima; and these were all opened promptly at 6:00hrs to facilitate the process. Figures recorded shortly after 13:00hrs on Friday revealed that of 114 ranks eligible to vote at Mackenzie, 55 had already voted; and from a number of 58 eligible voters at Wismar, 37 had voted. Meanwhile, at Kwakwani, of 15 eligible voters, all had voted at the time. Additionally, at Ituni, of 4 ranks, 2 had already voted.
The figures for Mabura showed that all of seven ranks had voted. ‘E’ Division (Linden- Kwakwani) Commander Linden Lord said the process would have wrapped up early at some of the polling stations situated in areas like Kwakwani, since only a handful of ranks were stationed there. He said the process for the region was smooth, with observers and staff present at the polling stations. Lord also spoke of the reluctance of some ranks to vote at the elections.
“Some of the ranks indicated that they would not be voting because the people who they would be voting for is not doing nothing for them. This information is already with the Force’s administration…some of them said they haven’t seen any change from the last time to now,” he indicated.
Lord, who voted at Brickdam, Georgetown, said for him the process was very smooth and commenced on time. Deputy Commander Jermaine Harper also shared similar sentiments.
“I feel good! It’s a good opportunity when you’re about to exercise your franchise. It’s your democratic right”, he said. He noted that almost all ranks who were a part of the process at his location at Mackenzie had completed voting shortly after midday.
Region Two
Over in Region Two, (Pomeroon-Supenaam), members of the GDF and GPF voted at the Suddie and Anna Regina Police Stations on Friday. According to Returning Officer Roxanne Smith at GECOM, Anna Regina, the Army came out early and voted, but the members of the Guyana Police Force trickled in.
Numbers coming out of ‘G’ Division show that in Leguan, 31 of 42 ranks voted. In Suddie, 28 ranks of 38 voted. In Anna Regina, 99 of 193 Police ranks voted, and 19 of 86 GDF ranks cast their vote. This publication understands that the Guyana Fire Service did not vote on Friday, but will do so on November 12.
Berbice
In East Berbice, Region Six, five polling stations were available for members of the Joint Services to cast their ballots.
At the Fort Wellington Police Station in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) 110 Police Officers were expected to cast ballots, and at the close of polls 39 voted, while at the Mahaica Police Station 51 officers were on the voters list and 39 cast ballots. At the New Amsterdam Town Council in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) 277 Police officers were listed there, but at close of poll the count was 120 had cast ballots. There were also 16 ranks from the Guyana Defence Force slated to vote there.
At the New Amsterdam Prison, 113 prison officers were listed to cast ballots and 53 did, while at the Whim Police Station 141 Police officers were on the voters list. At 18:00h, when polls closed, the count was 70 had voted.
Voting also took place at the Springlands Police Station, where 57 Police officers were listed to cast ballots.
At about 15:00h on Friday, voter turnout in Region Six was under 60 per cent.
Regional Supervisor for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Zamal Hussain, in an interview with this publication, said the voter education by GECOM was insufficient, thus resulting in the low turnout.
“GECOM has lapsed it its voter education to the population,” Hussain said.
Hussain also pointed to misinformation as it relates to the number of constituencies and the boundaries of those constituencies in Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) that were redesigned.
“GECOM’s public relations has been very poor,” Hussain added.
Meanwhile, Regional Supervisor for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Kirk Fraser, feels that while GECOM has a part to play in voter education, political parties also have a role to play.
“We would have been doing our own voter education in the constituencies that we are contesting, because we would have had printed material that we used to distribute in all the areas that we are contesting. So we don’t find voter education as a problem, but I do feel that GECOM can up their advertising and ensure that more persons are aware of Local Government Elections for E-Day which is November 12,” Fraser said.
Unaware
Meanwhile, a few prison officers said they were unaware they were expected to cast their ballots Friday. Some of them only checked the voters list on Friday to determine if their names were on.
Like other parts of the country, some ranks in Berbice turned up to vote, but their names were not on the list.
At some polling stations, the process took about five minutes. However, one Prison Officer said he took about 30 minutes.
At the Guyana Defence Force base in New Amsterdam, most of the officers said they were told that they had to go to other parts of the country to cast their ballots, since their names were not on the list there.
