Though there were tense moments as voters streamed in and out of polling stations on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) yesterday, there were a few light moments which helped relieve the strained atmosphere.
In Mocha Arcadia, the old, the young, the sick and even the intoxicated, mixed and mingled the streets of the sprawling community, the main subject of conversations being the elections.
As voters walked in and out of the narrow entrance leading to the polling place at the eastern extremity of the community, few gathered at shops, roadsides and on verandahs in the immediate vicinity. They chatted, sang and even argued about this year’s elections and the string of events which came along with it.
In a nearby yard, a family prepared a large pot which was being set up for various forms of celebrations later in the evening.
Confectionary vendor, Susan (only name provided) said the atmosphere in the community was tense for most of the morning and while support for a major political party outnumbered the other major party, everyone was eagerly awaiting the release “of the numbers” last evening.
But while Mocha Arcadia lightened up, outside the Timehri Primary School the eager, the curious and even the undecided at that eleventh hour’stood around the environs of the polling station, with tense looks on their faces.
As the media scoured the area for any information available on the electoral process, at various intervals, one Timehri resident who asked to be referred to as a ‘Good Samaritan’ spoke on his mobile phone, making queries relating to the words, “pick up more people”. The man appeared happy and willing to assist anyone passing with whatever queries they had.
The man appeared tired and he called out to anyone, including his friends who teased him about the clothes he had on since the night before. He approached this reporter and as he made queries about Stabroek News’ role in covering yesterday’s activities, he stopped to answer his phone. Thereafter, a lengthy conversation was overheard, and it included him repeatedly telling the person on the other end to “transport” voters to the polling station.
After he completed his loud conversation, he told this newspaper that there were many persons living in the Timehri area, mainly a small settlement aback the airport who wanted to go out early and vote yesterday and according to him, providing a helping hand in the form of his minibus proved vital.
He said that he woke up around 4 am yesterday and began transporting persons to the polling station shortly after. The man said that he did not charge anyone for his service but some persons preferred to pay him “a little small piece”. He said he was among the first to vote at the polling station yesterday, with his crew in tow. He said he cast his ballot within an hour of the polls being opened and after consuming a brief breakfast in the form of a cup of porridge, he continued to make trips to the area and ferried eligible voters to the polling station.
He took a break shortly before lunch yesterday but vowed to continue ferrying voters, irrespective of their voting preferences, to the polling station and back home.
