After waiting three days for the results of this year’s general and regional elections to be announced, many persons in Region Five accepted it as being fair while others were not satisfied.
Some members of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) told Stabroek News yesterday that they were suspicious about the results mostly because of the long time that the Guyana Elections Commission took to release them.
Donald Ramotar of the PPP/C would be sworn in as president today. Historically, Guyana would be led by a minority government, with the PPP gaining 32 seats with 48% of the votes. APNU took 26 seats with 40.8% and the Alliance for Change 10.3% with seven seats.
Unlike APNU’s supporters who took to the streets in Georgetown on Thursday evening and yesterday to protest the results, the supporters in Region Five went about their normal business.
One APNU supporter told this newspaper that “the results were coming good [with APNU in the lead] but like something pass somewhere… Up to now we cannot get the correct results.”
In spite of that, he was pleased that the country would be led by a minority government. “I think that is good because not one party would be controlling the country; everybody would have a say.”
A man who only gave his name as Ravi said he chose not vote this time “because only the PPP and the PNC dey in the race. And all of them fulling their pockets and the same boat we in all the time.”
He pointed out that if the PPP/C did not win it meant that the APNU “woulda go in because the other parties too small and they couldn’t make it….”
The man said too that he was fed up with the two main parties and did even want the PPP/C to get the minority rule.
He said he has no choice now than to accept the results and hope for the best.
A resident who did not wish to have his name mentioned said that the elections were “free and fair and everybody should accept that.”
The man opined too that “towards the end [of the campaign] Bharrat [Jagdeo] was getting arrogant and he [may have] chased people away from the party.”
He pointed out that “APNU protest is causing a lot of aggravation and they are depriving people of their rights; people are afraid to go out and shop and that is bad for business.”
Also wishing to remain anonymous, a West Berbice resident said “the results were okay but I wanted the AFC to win because it was time the country got a change.”
He liked the AFC “because they promised to reduce the tax and do a lot more for the country. The pension for the president is too high; they coulda take some of that money and do something else.”
He said the AFC did not get a lot of votes as expected but they made a great effort. “APNU got a lot of votes and first I thought they would have won from what I was seeing but the region two votes came in and pushed up the PPP votes.”
He did not think there was a need APNU to protest and said “they should accept the results and let the country move on smoothly.”
According to another West Berbice resident, “I do not think Guyana is ready for minority government because they are not matured enough. I think that from previous experience the opposition would just oppose because they wanted to oppose.”
Pradeed Bachan, regional co-ordinator for the Alliance for Change in Region Five was satisfied that “everything within the polling stations went very fair. I think the results are okay.”
He said too that, “For the first time we have a minority government and personally I think that it would bring about change.”
He did not have a problem with the results and said he “want to respect the statements of polls [SOP] that the political parties have signed.”
According to him, if APNU think “something was fraud that was the time to object. They should not have signed the SOP if they were not pleased with the count.”
Member of APNU’s leadership council James Bond, who said he and his wife “were the first voters” at Tempee NDC, West Berbice, said the “inordinate delays of counting the votes has left Guyanese in a serious doubt and APNU has made the correct call of asking for a verification of those results.”
He called on GECOM to “come off its high horse of arrogance and accede to the wishes of young Guyanese who have cast their votes for the first time to ensure that the process is indeed fair.”
He agreed that all the SOPs have been counted and done in a transparent manner but said “APNU wants to ensure that what was entered in the computers is reflected in the SOPs.”
According to him, “APNU has led this country in civility and in decency and we would abide with the results but not with the wrong results. We are not looking to mislead the Guyanese people.”
He cautioned Guyanese that “there are a lot of rumours going around and we have led the way to what it is to be peaceful and civil. We are simply standing up for the right of all Guyanese; we want them to have a hand in the decision making in the country.”
