Voting on ECD marred by party colour woes

…rule applies to emblems, not party colours – GECOM

Persons turned out in their numbers to vote along the East Coast of Demerara on E-day on Monday, but voting was not without some hiccups. The voters in Enmore complained of being turned back wrongfully by polling agents.

Voting at Enmore next to the St Mark Anglican Church

The controversy was sparked at the polling place located in the empty lot next to St Mark’s Anglican Church in Enmore, where 693 electors were scheduled to vote. This publication spoke to several persons, as well as representatives from both the People’s Progressive Party and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change.
According to PPP/C representatives and other supporters of the party who were present at the scene, several persons were told to return home and change when they showed up wearing party colours.
“When we go in there, them a turn back everybody with coloured clothes. And go see, they got scrutineers in there with their green jerseys. And we supporters can’t get on, them a put them out,” one resident who identified himself as a PPP representative explained.
According to Nirmala Sukhnanand, who was with the PPP representatives, she was turned back from voting because she had on a plain green blouse. She explained that she was left with no choice but to leave the venue and change her clothes.
“The scrutineers are there with [party colours]. Why people can’t go in with their clothes? Look they had people come from till over there so. They had to go back home, to change their clothes and come back… about 10 or 12 of them,” another agitated resident said.
APNU/AFC representative Orin Nelson revealed that the party’s supporters also experienced hurdles at the polling place. These hurdles include persons being turned back due to the colour of their clothes.
“What we learned is that persons could have worn any colour jersey of their liking, without the slogan of any political party. But by doing so, people were turned back because the jersey might be a little red or green or yellow. Even some persons with multicoloured clothing were turned back,” Nelson said.
“We were made to understand on the news that once there is no slogan on your jersey to depict any party, you could vote. Because every party has a colour. Now I am seeing, people are being turned back because they are wearing [clothing of a certain colour]. “People had to go home, people had to come bring clothing for them,” another concerned citizen said.
“Another thing that concerns me is whereby persons are given counterfoil to vote. And then they say sorry. That is bad,” she added. Counterfoil is the part of the ballot paper, usually left intact, that contains the serial number of the ballot paper. By tearing out the counterfoil, GECOM would be unable to account for the ballot paper.
From the scene, this publication made contact with GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward, who promised to clear up the matter. She assured that electors wearing colours associated with a party can vote, once their attire does not have the party emblem.