See chart of election results from 1992,1997,2001 and 2006.

Results for 2006 Election

Updated September 3rd. 2006

A unique result

The PPP/C has done better in terms of seats than even it expected, if its "Grand Victory Rally" held at Stewartville not after, but before the election is anything to go on. Such arrogance had more than the whiff of insecurity about it, otherwise why would any party have found it necessary to celebrate a win more than thirty-six hours before the polls even opened? When the PPP/C's campaign speakers in Bartica begged the crowd for votes to give them an overall majority, they probably came closer to revealing their true fears. Yet despite the fact that the party to its presumed surprise has ended up with more seats than it obtained in 2001, in a real sense it did not perform better than last time; it performed considerably worse. Firstly the turnout of 69 per cent may be the lowest for an open election in this country ever, and secondly, in a sense the governing party won by default: that is to say it won because the PNCR-1G lost in style.

To take Region 4 as an example, in 2001 the PPP/C had 74,501 votes, and this time it received 61,896. The result simply looks good because the PNCR's figure of 95,894 in 2001 was slashed to 67,726 this time around. And voter turnout was especially poor here: with 217,168 on the electoral roll for this district, only 148,373 bothered to go and vote (and almost 2,000 of those ballots were spoilt). Added to this, of course, the AFC picked up 13,566 votes in this region. But even in its heartland of Region 6, the PPP/C cannot be thrilled with the result. With 80,434 voters on the list, 57,876 went to cast their ballots; this was 10,000 less than in 2001 with a smaller number of registered voters. The party received 41,713 votes this time around as against 47,701 in 2001. As for Region 10 where its hopes were riding so high, it received around 700 fewer votes than last time. The PNCR votes on the other hand, were slashed by almost half, with 3,016 votes going to the AFC. The rest, it seems, weren't given to anyone, since more than 10,000 voters stayed home and did not bother to show up at the polls at all. So much for cross-over voting in a traditional PNC stronghold.

Now it may be, as was said in Thursday's editorial in this newspaper, that some of those on the register had migrated. Until house to house registration is undertaken it will be impossible to know how many absent voters are accounted for in this way. However, this kind of turnout (including in Amerindian areas) cannot be explained entirely by migration; the electorate is telling the two big parties something, although they have done it in a very understated fashion, and produced a paradoxical result to boot. Eight per cent of the electors went out and put their X next to the AFC, but for the rest, they did not desert their traditional parties, they just did not vote for them - or for anyone else. In such circumstances a non-vote is a statement of a kind.

So what is it the electorate is saying? At the very least the voters have said that they are dissatisfied with our politicians and their performance, and are weary of the way politics is played in Guyana. Where the government is concerned, its supporters' pre-eminent message no doubt related to crime, and the failure of the government to address this problem. In a general sense, however, the electors probably also may have been indicating they did not want more of the same: the same old obsession to control everything, the same old refusal to listen to others, the same old loyalty test for appointments, the same old failure to recognize talent, the same old belief that they have all the answers when given some of their spectacular failures clearly they don't, the same old conspiracy theories, the same old opaqueness when asked to account for anything, the same old denials when things are obviously wrong, the same old lack of inclusiveness, the same old faces in cabinet, the same old rhetoric. The question is, is the PPP/C even capable of recognizing its shortcomings and responding to the nation's need to breathe again?

The message the voters sent to the PNCR was altogether more direct. Allowing for the fact that the party sent confused signals to its supporters prior to the election because of its ambivalence about the electoral list, as well as the fact that a public holiday militated against city voters since there was no public transportation on the streets, nevertheless, there was something else at work. The unprecedented low turnout in the party's heartland is nothing short of a disaster for the main opposition. Since the PNCR is not in government, this has to be a statement about its leadership. The party has done no work among its supporters for a long time, and while they could get away with that under the late Mr Hoyte, who inspired tremendous personal loyalty among the traditional constituency which turned out to vote for him no matter what, the same is not true now that he has gone.

While the PNCR has neglected its power base for a long time, the need at least to bestir itself with an election in the offing, does not appear to have crossed its mind. It did not even bother to ensure its supporters were registered, for example, and it did not make arrangements to see that they went to the polling stations. If you ignore your power base for long enough, it will punish you at the polls, and this is exactly what happened.

In addition, clearly a significant number of PNCR supporters chose to vote for Mr Trotman. The signals are that these are different times: supporters want a new vision and a new face at the top which is not associated with the old discredited politics. They want a party which reorganizes itself to work among them on an ongoing basis and represent their concerns, and a party which can confront the PPP/C at another level entirely - intellectually and in Parliament.

And now Mr Corbin in circumstances which clearly do not warrant it given the abysmal showing of his party at the polls is talking of shared governance. Has he paid no attention to the results at all? The voters made a statement about his performance, among other things, so why does he believe they want him now to share power with the PPP/C? While his intentions are no doubt good, he is nevertheless conveying an altogether different impression of where his true interests lie. As was said in our Thursday editorial, the PNCR had an opportunity for the first time since 1992 to prevent the PPP/C from obtaining an overall majority, and it miffed it. The rank and file cannot possibly want Mr Corbin in government with the PPP/C at this stage; they are waiting to see if the PNCR is capable of introspection and can put its house in order. If it can't do this, it is in danger of wiping itself off the political map at some point in the future.

And as for the AFC which got the best showing of any third party since the 1960s, it has an opportunity to make a difference in Parliament. This is its opening to show those whom it represents that it is prepared to build up expertise on the various issues which come before the House, and confront the governing party when it is pursuing an obviously wrong path. It can indicate to the nation it is prepared to do serious work within the parliamentary framework, appearing at committee meetings and holding the government to account.

It already has among its leaders Mrs Sheila Holder, who acquired a reputation in the last Parliament for hard work; it now has to institutionalise that, and set a standard for monitoring government actions and asking probing questions which could galvanise the rest of the opposition as well. If it makes a good public showing, it will build confidence among the electorate that it deserves people's votes.

This election has produced a result which is unique in the history of this country. The two major parties had better take note. Stabroek Editorial September 3rd. 2006

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President Jagdeo to be sworn in today

PRESIDENT-ELECT, incumbent Mr Bharrat Jagdeo will be sworn in to office today, following his People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) victory at the August 28 polls, the Government Information Agency (GINA) confirmed yesterday.

The swearing-in takes place at State House in Georgetown and preparations for it are ongoing, with work being done on the building and lawns while tents are erected to accommodate the invited guests.

GINA said Howard Construction Company is doing minor repairs on the northern end of the edifice.

It was the fourth PPP/C victory at the polls since Guyana gained independence in 1966, when the last was declared on August 31.

Today’s programme will see President Jagdeo being administered the Oath of Office by Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Chief Justice Carl Singh.

GINA said the official function will feature, as well, an announcement by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally and the highlight would be an address to the nation by the Head of State, to be followed by a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 21-Gun Salute.

The Guyana Police Force Band will also provide musical entertainment at the reception which follows, GINA said.

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PPP/C sweeps to victory

SECURING a whopping 54.6 per cent of votes cast at Monday’s general and regional elections, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) last night swept to a convincing win of the 2006 polls, giving incumbent President Bharrat Jagdeo, 42, another five-year term to carry out his party’s US$500B development plan.

Saying he was “very, very satisfied” with the conduct of the polls, and confident that he carried out a “credible election,” Chief Election Officer (CEO) Mr. Gocool Boodoo declared the results at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown in the presence of the chairman and commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

FINAL RESULT: The panel for the official declaration of the 2006 elections results yesterday. From left are Commissioners Mr. Mahmood Shaw, Dr. Keshav Mangal and Mr. Lloyd Joseph, GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally, commissioners Mr. Moen McDoom and Mr. Robert Williams, and Chief Elections Officer Mr. Gocool Boodoo.

The PPP/C, chalking up 183,887 votes, has effectively secured the Parliamentary majority with 36 seats in the National Assembly, two more than the last time, putting the People’s National Congress Reform–One Guyana (PNCR–1G) as the main parliamentary opposition with 22 seats.

Three other parties will also sit in Parliament. Newcomers Alliance for Change (AFC) will occupy six seats, the alliance of the Guyana Action Party and Rise Organise and Rebuild (GAP – ROAR) one seat, and The United Force (TUF) one seat.

Mr. Robert Corbin, the 58-year-old attorney who secured the leadership of the PNCR in early 2003 following the death of Hugh Desmond Hoyte, sunk the party to three Parliamentary seats fewer than it gained in the 2001 polls.

Only 69 per cent of the 492,369 eligible voters went to the polls on Monday, a notable difference from the 2001 polls when 89 per cent of the 440,185 eligible electors cast ballots.

Chief Elections Officer Mr. Gocool Boodoo declares the official results of the 2006 general and regional elections at Le Meridien Pegasus last evening.

For the first time ever, the PPP/C secured Parliamentary seats for all 10 geographic constituencies, notably moving into Region 10, a traditional stronghold of the PNCR. In fact, the PPP/C won majority votes in eight of the 10 geographic constituencies.

The PPP/C secured 15 of the 25 geographic constituency seats, while the PNCR collected nine. The AFC secured the remaining seat, thanks to votes secured in Region Four.

From the national top up list, the PPP/C raked in 21 seats, eight more than the PNCR-1G. The AFC marked up four seats, while GAP-ROAR and TUF secured one each.

The PPP/C swept the polls with compelling victories in Regions Two, Three, and Six. It also secured the most votes in Regions One, Five, Seven, Eight and Nine.

The PNCR continued its main hold on Region Four, and took the lead in Region 10, though it had to share the two geographic seats for this region with the PPP/C.

Mr. Boodhoo debunked suggestions that his declaration of the finals results was late, saying the law gives him 15 days within which to announce the results, and he did it in three days.

He said the elections were credible, declaring “there could be no question about that.” The CEO said he was accustomed to litigation and was prepared to deal with any such challenge to the elections and the results he announced.

Opposition commissioner of GECOM, Mr. Robert Williams said if he did not endorse the elections and the results, he would not have been present at the declaration of the results.

Also present, were the other opposition commissioner Mr. Floyd Joseph, and the PPP/C commissioners Dr. Keshav `Bud’ Mangal, Mr. Moen McDoom, and Mr. Mahmood Shaw.

GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally said the nation owed gratitude to an “indefatigable” Boodoo and he also praised Deputy CEO Mr. Calvin Benn, and Assistant CEO, Mr. Keith Lowenfield.

He also thanked the local and foreign observers, the Joint International Technical Assessors, media consultant Tim Neale, and congratulated the parties for their “maturity” and the media for its “copious” work.

The other parties which contested the elections but did not win any Parliamentary seats were the Justice For All Party, Guyana National Congress, Liberal Democrats, National Democratic Party and the People’s Republican Party.

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Jagdeo back by landslide

The PPP/C was last night declared the official winner of the general elections with 54.6% of the national votes to secure 36 seats in the 65-member parliament.

Led by incumbent President Bharrat Jagdeo who will return for a second term, the party received 183,887 of the 336,375 valid votes counted for the elections, to gain two seats more than its showing at 2001 polls despite getting 26,000 fewer votes. The main opposition PNCR-1G coalition accounted for 34% of the count, receiving 114,608 votes for 22 seats, for a loss of five seats. The party got 50,000 less votes than at the last elections. Meanwhile, the AFC, which was formed less than a year ago by ex-members of the two major parties, amassed 28,366 votes or an 8.4% share to manage five seats; GAP-ROAR collected 4,249 votes and the TUF 2,694 to secure the remaining two. JFAP, which had established an early lead over the TUF, received 2,571 votes, which were not enough for a seat at the end of the count. The regional results were almost identical.

Overall, there was a voter turnout of 69% from the 492,369 voters on the official list - significantly lower than the 89% recorded five year ago. However, the inclusion of post-2001 migrants on the list is one factor that could potentially skew the turnout since it inflates the list although there are no estimates of these figures are available.

Chief Election Officer Gocool Boodoo declared the results shortly after 8 pm last night in between frequent sips of water and amidst an almost ceaseless cacophony of ringing cellular phones at the GECOM media centre at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel. He said afterward that he was "very satisfied" that a credible election had been delivered to the people. "There is no question about it," he remarked, while adding that the declaration of the results have never been done so quickly.

The results were announced with GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally on hand, along with the three PPP/C-nominated members, Dr Keshav Mangal, Mohamood Shaw, and Moen McDoom as well as the opposition-nominees, Lloyd Joseph and Robert Williams. The other opposition-nominated member, Haslyn Parris, resigned at the end of July in light of his concerns over the preparations for the elections. Joseph and Williams had expressed their own concerns in the run up to the polls, but endorsed last night's results. "If they weren't endorsed I would not be here," Williams said, while Joseph was more guarded, explaining that the questions about the issues he was concerned about are still to be legally determined. "The endorsement does not mean that those questions have been resolved, but I have a responsibility to discharge and I had to follow procedures to the end - to the extent that the law was followed," he said.

Boodoo, responding to a question about possible legal challenges to the results, noted that he had become "very accustomed" to them and would deal with any eventuality.

According to the results given by Boodoo, the PPP/C received 21 national top up seats and 15 geographical constituency seats to claim an overall parliamentary majority; the PNCR-1G received 13 national top up seats and nine geographical constituency seats for its 22 seats; the AFC received four national top up seats and one geographical constituency seat for its five overall. GAP-ROAR and the TUF each received one seat at the national top up level. The PPP/C's geographical constituency seats comprised three in Region 4, two each in Regions 2, 3 and 6, and one each in Regions 1, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10; the PNCR-1G's nine seats comprise three in Region 4; and one each in Regions 1, 3,5,6,7,and 10. The AFC got one seat in Region 4.

While the PNCR topped the vote count in Region 4 with 68,112 votes, its traditional majority was considerably eroded as the PPP/C was not far behind with 62,386 votes, a difference of 5,726. At the last elections the differential was more than 21,000 votes. Behind the two parties, the AFC collected 13,876 votes, which could have accounted for the erosion of the PNCR's support.

Boodoo announced the results after receiving statements of declaration of results from the Returning Officers of the 10 polling districts where the votes for each party list were recorded. The declaration came a day after the date by which the results were originally promised and it remains to be seen whether the new parliament would be established by the September 2 constitutional deadline. According to Article 69(1) of the Constitution, the first sitting of the Parliament is due to be held four months after its dissolution - which is Saturday.

Boodoo could not answer the question last night and said it was legal matter.

By law, the President has to be sworn in, while representatives of parties' lists have to extract the names of the candidates for election to parliament. The CEO is required to submit the names of the candidates to the Clerk of the Parliament, who will then finalise the arrangements for the meeting. GECOM is responsible for providing the members with a certification of the election.

There is also supposed to be a notification by way of a special issue of the Official Gazette, to inform the number of votes for each list of candidates; the number of rejected ballots; the number of seats allocated to each list of candidates; and the names of the persons who as a result of the election have become members of the parliament. Afterward, the President shall appoint the date for the first session of the new Parliament by proclamation.

Coinciding with these activities, the Chief Election Officer is to inform the Clerks of the Regional Democratic Councils and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development of the extraction of the names for the persons who have been elected to be members of the councils. The Clerks will afterward organise the council meetings to elect the chairs and vice-chairs. Stabroek News September 1st. 2006

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PNCR-1G accepts GECOM results

The PNCR-1G, having completed its evaluation of the statements of poll submitted by its polling agents, has stated that its results closely approximate those announced so far by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

In a statement issued last night, the PNCR-1G said that while it was disappointed with the voter turnout the platform nevertheless congratulated the people of Guyana, "who by their exemplary conduct on Elections Day, defied the prophets of doom."

The statement said that the PNCR-1G will shortly publish its evaluation of the electoral process and the conduct of the polls on Election Day. Among the areas that would be addressed are, the lack of a level playing field for political parties including the misuse of the state media, even on polling day, to promote the interest of the governing party; the failure to verify the voters' list and its implications for the elections; undue difficulties faced by electors for both registration and voting; and inefficiencies in the functioning of GECOM.

Now that the elections were over the PNCR-1G assured its supporters that the results were not what the platform had hoped for, however, it would resolutely promote and defend their interests.

In addition, the PNCR said that it would be pursuing a number of initiatives to enhance economic well-being as it seeks to move Guyana forward with the One Guyana platform. Stabroek News September 1st. 2006

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PPP/C on way to majority -final results delayed

The PPP/C was last night emerging as the unofficial winner of Monday's general elections with enough votes to secure a parliamentary majority based on the results from 92% of polling stations.

The results available for 1852 of the 1999 polling stations showed that the incumbent received 174,155 of the 313,964 valid votes that were counted by the 8 pm update after it took eight of the ten electoral districts to amass an unassailable lead in the polls. The main opposition PNCR-1G coalition which accumulated 105,288 of the votes seemed on its way to recording its worst result in democratic elections, although it maintained a slim majority in Districts 4 and 10, which have been traditional strongholds. The AFC has thus far posted the highest votes for a third party since the United Force in 1964, receiving 26,094 of the votes. GAP-ROAR received 3,556, JFAP 2,426, and the TUF 2,345.

Though still to be worked out, the 65-seat parliament would see the PPP/C retaining its 34 seats, the PNCR(-1G) falling from 27 to 23 and the AFC clinching six seats. Two other seats were still up for grabs and one could possibly go to the GAP-ROAR alliance based on its Region 9 showing and the other to CN Sharma's Justice For All Party. The United Force, a parliamentary participant for many years was unlikely to retain its seat.

Chief Election Officer Gocool Boodoo was unable to declare the official results as scheduled last night without the completed count of statements of poll for all the stations although updated figures were released throughout the night.

The figure for total votes cast by the time of the update was 318, 631, with 313,964 counted as valid after the subtraction of 4,667 rejected ballots. The figure of cast ballots represented a 65% turnout of the 492,369 voters in the official list, although the figure was expected to be adjusted with the declaration of the outstanding results. The numbers for regional elections did not differ greatly, with 316,318 ballots cast of which 310,891 were counted as valid after the subtraction of 5,427 rejected ballots. Like at the national polls, the PPP/C claimed the majority with 170,216 votes, while the PNCR-1G got 105,383, and the AFC 25,240. GAP-ROAR received 3,890, JFAP 3,251, TUF 2,482, GNC 146, LD 136, and PRP 128.

The one sobering fact from the results thus far for the ruling party is that it is securing its majority with around 27,000 less votes than it did in 2001 - and this despite a high-energy campaign that blanketed the country over the last few weeks. Analysts attributed this to voter apathy and the battering the ruling party has taken over the crime situation. The opposition PNCR was likely to get around 44,000 less votes than it got in 2001 and analysts suggested that this was as a result of the twin-track campaign it ran - pledging no elections without verification. In the end it contested the elections without verification.

Boodoo said he would not risk giving partial results and would wait for the outstanding figures, though he mentioned that he had started to calculate the allocation of seats.

Boodoo explained that by virtue of section 84:01 of the Representation of the People Act, each Returning Officer would have to make a public declaration at their district office before he could advise the commission. "This has been a very controversial issue in the past," he pointed out, "We are not going to make those kinds of mistakes again."

At that point, Boodoo confirmed that statements of poll were available for all stations save for two that had to be verified. He explained that there were some arithmetical errors that would legally have to be corrected by the Returning Officers, which held up some of the declarations. "The law makes it quite clear the Returning Officers have to do it and that is one of the sticky areas we have on our hands right now," he said.

GECOM had given assurances that the final result would be out much quicker than in the previous three elections but with yesterday's deferral it would not be much of a change from 2001. GECOM had contracted an expert to advise on how to improve the speed of the final declaration and it is unclear whether any such measures were finally implemented.

Despite a much-vaunted campaign in Region 10, the PPP/C was likely to end with around 2,600 votes - significantly less than the 3,985 it picked up in 2001 and the 3,000 it claimed as the size of one of its major pre-election launch rallies in Linden. The ruling party was also likely to experience a decline of around 6,000 votes in its major stronghold of Region Six.

Based on the 92% results last night, the AFC had its strongest showing in Region Four where it notched up 12,900 votes and it also picked up 2,510 votes in Region 10 - just under half of the PNCR-1G's tally. The AFC also secured 2,733 votes in Region Three and 2,834 votes in Region Six.

Boodoo also assured the security of ballot boxes and noted that there were no reports of breaches. He said the parties had up to midday Tuesday to ask for a recount and since then the boxes have been secured and only a court of law could require them to be opened. Stabroek News August 31st. 2006

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Corbin calls for national unity government -- commits to environment of peace

COMMITTING itself to an environment of peace and calling for inclusive governance, the People’s National Congress-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) last evening appeared to have conceded defeat with latest results pointing to a majority win for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

“We must now, not tomorrow, or next month, agree to devise a new model of governance where all stakeholders can feel confident that they will be included in the process and enjoy the fruit of development,” PNCR leader, Mr. Robert Corbin said in a TV address.

The last official announcement of the results by Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Gocool Boodoo, at 20:00 h, showed the PNCR-1G behind the PPP/C by more than 60,000 votes, with just 147 of 1,999 Statements of Poll to be verified.

Corbin said his party was monitoring the results of GECOM, but he did not venture to dispute them.

He told his supporters the party would not abandon them and will “prevent the PPP/C from continuing its policy of the arbitrary use of power and the resources of the state to victimize, marginalize and humiliate those persons who have supported the PNCR-1G and other opposition parties.”

“My party will pursue this course of action as part of its campaign to deepen the democratic process and to establish good governance, fair play and justice,” he said.

Corbin declared that his party is “firmly committed to an environment of peace” and “has and can have no interest in creating or encouraging conditions of instability.”

The continuing calm of these polls is a stark difference from the violence of the previous three elections for which the PNCR was blamed as these resulted from its anti-government street protests.

According to Corbin, the PNCR-1G platform carried out a vigorous campaign highlighting programmes and proposals for making Guyana into a modern 21st century state under a model of shared governance or government of national unity.

He said his party has been busy recording the results declared at the individual polling stations and monitoring the announcements by GECOM to ensure that they were consistent with the information provided by its party agents.

“From the results before us it is clear that, in large measure, the ethnic voting patterns have remained deep-seated,” Corbin said. His party is mainly supported by Afro-Guyanese, while the PPP/C is mainly supported by Indo-Guyanese.

He said despite the fact that the PNCR-1G conducted a campaign based on the issues and eschewed any appeal to race “the results have indicated that ethnic voting patterns continue to manifest themselves.”

Corbin argued that the election results have demonstrated yet again that the current system of governance in Guyana is “woefully inadequate as a vehicle for forging national unity and continues to be the basis of the existing political instability that suffocates our nation.”

“It must, therefore, be obvious to all that a government of national unity, based on the principle of shared governance, is essential to enable the nation to overcome its present difficulties and get on with the business of real economic development,” he stated.

He claimed there is a hardened perception among a substantial section of the Afro-Guyanese community that they could not survive five more years of the PPP/C rule.

“On behalf of the PNCR-1G we issue a serious call to the entire political leadership of Guyana to save our country from the imminent peril it faces. There can be no more noble a cause for us to serve at this time. Our viability as a nation must be secured and we stand ready tonight to commence and complete the process expeditiously,” Corbin declared.

He added that in the party’s recent manifesto, the PNCR-1G restated and re-emphasised this as essential for the rapid development of Guyana.

Corbin said his party campaigned on a platform which promised to empower the youth of the country, and assured those who worked hard during their campaign that the party will continue its efforts to realize this promise.

“In this regard, the PNCR, in collaboration with others, will work with the youth of this country to access the required resources so as to enable them to realise their potential, as envisaged in the party’s Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES),” he stated.

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Peace holds as results unfold

THE calm that has surprisingly dominated the 2006 elections held yesterday as the nation awaited the final official results of Monday’s general and regional voting, with normalcy slowly returning to Georgetown and other parts of the coast.

As the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) appealed for patience while the official vote count was still under way 24 hours after the polls closed, the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was maintaining earlier forecasts of a comfortable victory, with the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) also projecting victory in a “dead heat” with its traditional main rival.

GECOM also held back from giving an official voter turnout percentage until more information was received as international observers joined in commending the electorate, political parties, the Police and Army and others for ensuring peace since Polling Day.

Cautious store owners and other business places, including banks and service stations, yesterday kept shutters on their store fronts and a wary eye out for street protesters who turned violent during post-polling disturbances in the 1992, 1997 and 2001 elections.

But there was no sign of trouble and as night fell, an eerie kind of hush descended on streets around Georgetown and along the East Coast Demerara and other parts of the coast, with very little traffic and few people around.

Night brought almost a repeat of the situation that prevailed Monday in many parts of the coast.

The Army and Police maintained patrols in the sensitive capital, and in an effective demonstration of their readiness to deal with any sign of trouble, units were quickly on the scene at a fire which broke out in a house on Lamaha Street yesterday morning.

They kept a close watch as fire fighters went into action to try to contain the flames which erupted in the house while an old lady was trying to make coffee.

Some stores opened for business on the usually busy Regent Street after the national holiday on Elections Day Monday and there was a sprinkling of shoppers around the city’s commercial sector.

But sellers and shoppers were few in the normally busy city markets, with many stalls tightly closed and not much goods displayed for sale.

There was an air of cautious optimism as the city, its citizens and visitors struggled to fight off the lingering but ever present fear of trouble from the post-elections violence of 1992, 1997 and 2001.

Mini-buses were back again on their usual city and out of town routes, there were more taxis on the roads but many people appeared to be holding their breath until the final official elections results are out – maybe by tonight or early tomorrow.

Some people appeared worried at the slow release of the results but GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, earning praise from observers and others for the smooth polls conduct, yesterday appealed for patience.

He said the results are going through a stringent process of verification and rechecking before being released in an effort to ensure that there are “absolutely no errors”, and that they can withstand the “harshest of scrutiny”.

GECOM, he declared at a press conference, “will not sacrifice accuracy on the twin altars of alacrity and expediency”.

While President Bharrat Jagdeo lauded GECOM for the “wonderful conduct” of Monday’s general and regional elections, PNCR Leader, Mr. Robert Corbin, was not that impressed.

“I wish to congratulate GECOM and the staff of GECOM for the wonderful conduct of the elections yesterday (Monday)...I think things went smoothly in spite of minor glitches which are associated with elections everywhere in the world and I am very pleased that everyone recognized that and acknowledged it, including the international community”, President Jagdeo told reporters yesterday

The President also commended the security forces – the Police Force and the Army - for a job well done.

But Corbin, while acknowledging that the general environment was mainly peaceful and devoid of significant tension, and commending the Guyanese people in all regions for conducting themselves in an orderly and responsible manner, charged that the elections process did not go smoothly as GECOM had promised.

He alleged that there was collusion between GECOM officials and PPP/C party activists, and at other stations, there was single-handed skulduggery performed by “a few” Presiding Officers.

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PPP/C leads

Partial results for the elections show the incumbent PPP/C in the lead with more than 55% of the counted votes.

After the first full day of counting, the PPP/C received 90,601 of the 164,564 valid votes that were counted by 11 pm last night from partial results from the electoral districts 1,2,3,4,6 and 7; the main opposition PNCR-1G coalition received 56,618 votes (34%); the AFC 13,916 (8.5%); JFAP 1,603; GAP-ROAR 846; and TUF 620.

The figures were generated from 922 completed statements of poll for the 1999 polling stations that were set up in the country's ten electoral districts, but the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) could not say what percentage of the overall turnout they represented or which specific areas they belonged to.

Although there were 493,369 eligible voters on the list there was a low turnout at the polls and none of the officials would speculate about the reasons for this occurrence. In the 2001 election 403,734 votes were cast and the PPP/C captured 210,013.

It was still a close race in District 4 (Demerara/ Mahaica), where the PPP/C accumulated 44,926 of the 95,709 valid votes that were counted from 512 of the region's 763 polling stations. The PNCR-1G was not far behind in its stronghold with 40,560 votes, while the AFC took 8,780. Among the smaller parties, the JFAP received 1019 votes; the GAP-ROAR received 224; and the TUF 200. Read full article

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PPP/C confident of victory, despite `mixed’ voter turnout

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is confident of winning yesterday’s elections, despite low voter turnout in some areas in which it traditionally had strong support.

After close of polls last evening, party General Secretary, Mr. Donald Ramotar described the voter turnout as “mixed”, saying while it was high in some of its stronghold areas there was a low turnout in others.

However, he said the party, which has held the seat of government for 14 years, was not “worried” but “very confident” of victory again.

His comments came at a press conference at his party headquarters, Freedom House, some four hours after polls closed.

During the day, the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, seeking re-election, visited several East Coast Demerara villages, where he urged residents to vote and to help others to do likewise.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said the President’s visit was prompted by reports from polling agents that “there was a lull in the voting process.”

Lusignan, Martyrsville and Mon Repos were some of the villages the President visited, GINA stated,

During the visit, the agency said, it was observed that most persons had already voted and the President urged them to assist others to participate in the process.

“You can go to the areas and see if persons are voting. Despite the large turnout early, everybody did not come out to vote. We have to get every person out. You can go into the communities and assist your neighbour to come out and vote,” the President was quoted as saying to residents.

Some nine hours into polling, the PPP General Secretary said his party was pleased with the conduct of the polls, despite the fact that some supporters, like at Crane, West Coast Demerara and Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, could not find their names on the list.

However, he said such reports were minimal and his party was “extremely happy” with the state of calmness on elections day, noting that there were no “major incidents” to report.

Ramotar indicated that while voter turnout was high in the early morning when polling places opened at 06:00 h, it eased around noon.

The PPP General Secretary, at a press briefing at Freedom House, said there seems to have been a misunderstanding in some elections officials at polling places not allowing party agents to observe the process. He said this happened to its agents in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni).

The Alliance For Change and the Justice For All Party complained about this early in the day, but Guyana Elections Commission Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally explained that no directive was issued to prevent party agents without accreditation letters from entering polling places.

REGION THREE

Early morning voting saw almost empty polling stations in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) just after noon.

While patrols of the Police and the Army were not pronounced, all the polling stations were guarded by either Police or Rural Constables. They reported that activity at their polling places was peaceful, noting that there was heavy voting early in the morning.

Visits were made to polling places at Parika, Vergenoegen and Tuschen, all on the East Bank of Essequibo, and to Met-en-Meerzorg, Den Amstel and Vreed-en-hoop on the West Coast Demerara. On the West Bank Demerara, the situation was the same from La Grange to Wales.

At Met-en-Meerzorg, one woman said she could not find her name at the three polling places she was directed to. After calling the GECOM hotlines without success, she decided to give up.

No incidents were reported at any of the polling places and at noon, officials in most were sitting, awaiting any voter who would turn up.

In the villages, residents completed voting and went back to their homes peacefully and many said they were catching up with work at home.

Some 67,000 were listed as eligible electors for Region Three. Guyana Chronicle August 29th. 2006

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Trouble-free voting

Voters cast their ballots across the country yesterday at what were peaceful elections, although initial results point to a lower than expected turnout and while the PPP/C and the PNCR-1G were showing solid results in their strongholds the Alliance For Change also had good returns in some areas.

Up to 1.30 this morning, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was unable to give any preliminary results on the counting of ballots from 1,999 polling stations that were set up across the country. This failure occurred despite assurances that GECOM would begin releasing results quickly. But initial reports from the field pointed to a low turnout among the 493,369 eligible voters on the official voters' list. By mid-afternoon, GECOM had reported a 55% turnout, or around 270,000 voters but no estimates were given afterwards. Stabroek News reporters gathered figures from several polling stations and abridged versions of these can be found on page 10.

At the 2001 elections, there were 396,516 votes counted from a list of 440,185.

Chief Election officer Gocool Boodoo refused to make any figures available last night without verifying them with an original statement of poll. "I don't want to speculate," he said. "We have to be extremely careful about what we relay to the media." He said counting of the ballots would be done by an IT team and manually and he reported that it was being done at a satisfactory rate although some checking was to be done. The counting of ballots in District 3 was completed and the results were to have been available by midnight. Boodoo said a full account would be given at an update at 6 am this morning. More updates are expected throughout the day, while the commission hopes to declare final results by tomorrow night at the earliest.

The election process was peaceful throughout the country and the police and the army maintained constant mobile patrols on the streets. There was an incident of voters being verbally threatened at the Cove and John polling station but police responded immediately, resulting in the disbanding of the threatening group and the resumption of voting. Later, shortly before the close of polls the commission was also informed that supporters of a party who had already voted were being bussed to polling stations in certain areas. The police were again called in to intervene. The party was not identified.

Voting was heavy from the 6 am opening of polls, even with intermittent showers during the morning. GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally told reporters that all the stations opened punctually and electors stood in line, waited patiently for their turn and behaved in a mature and orderly fashion. He estimated that the rain might have influenced the turnout by the mid-morning and the early afternoon. Added to that, there were problems at some locations but he said tranquil and orderly voting continued. "I am convinced we carried out our mandate pretty well," he later told a news conference after the close of polls. "We have listened and observed problems; we have tried to solve them. That is our role. That is our responsibility," he added.

GECOM teams were dispatched around the city to assist presiding officers at polling stations where problems were encountered by the electors. However, the commission reported that these were not widespread overall. "I know it's not large," Surujbally said, "…I know that it's not huge." There were electors who did not know where they were designated to vote; there were instances where electors turned up at the wrong stations; and there were also some who could not find their names on the list at all.

In many cases, the electors had not checked to ensure that their names were on the voters' list before they turned up at the polling stations (although there were some who had checked in advance but discovered upon turning up that they had been relocated to other stations in the area).

Dr Surujbally admitted that one of the reasons for this development had been the use of school complexes where there were multiple stations, causing congestion while persons tried to find their names on the list. "We might have to rethink it," he said, "It's getting us into some trouble."

Others had registered in different areas but did not effect transfers.

This was the situation in Sophia, where there were numerous complaints by electors who could not find their names on the lists at stations. Dr Surujbally noted that the area had originated as a squatting area and was regularised recently as a part of the capital city and he explained that many of the residents came from rural areas and took up residence without effecting transfers. "That means that they are still on the [voters' list] in the district or area from which they originated and where they are registered," he explained.

Opposition-nominated member of the commission Robert Williams told the news conference that he had overseen the voting in South Georgetown, where there were nearly 100 stations. "I dare anyone to say that there is a problem there at any polling place that has not been solved or that has been of any consequences," Williams said. He singled out the Albouystown area, noting that while there had been problems in the past, there was "absolutely no problem" this time around. He said Ruimveldt had a few hitches in the morning, because the East Ruimveldt School housed about 14 polling stations and there was congestion at the start of the day. However, he did sound the first warning that the turnout fell short of expectations. "The turnout has not been which we all anticipated in all the polling places I visited and that obviously may have a significant impact on the results of the elections," he said. The public holiday and the absence of public transportation were among the reasons given for the poor turnout.

There was a slight gaffe at the start of polling when the AFC and the JFAP reported that their party agents were being denied entry into polling places because officials were asking them for letters of accreditation. Similar problems were encountered by some domestic observers. However, GECOM, upon receipt of the reports, quickly sought to address the situation and instructed its returning officers to ensure that presiding officers at the polling stations allow entry to all political party agents and observers with identification cards.

According to the Government Information Agency, President Bharrat Jagdeo took note of the initial glitches, including the congestion at schools, but he said they were to be expected in such a large scale exercise. "They are trying to sort these things out now," he was quoted as saying. PNCR-1G Presidential Candidate Robert Corbin's prognosis was far bleaker. "Not good, not good," he said outside the Sophia Primary School, where several people were unable to find their names on the list. Corbin and his aides were checking the list electronically to help the voters find their correct polling places. "I need every palm tree I can get," he exclaimed as more people thronged him for help. Later, the elections commission deployed a mobile information unit to the area to assist electors who were unable to find their designated stations.

There were several polling day measures that were put in place to give parties the assurance that there could be no occurrence of any multiple voting or other electoral fraud.

There were paid party agents as well as the use of photographs of voters on folios that were in the possession of presiding officers at stations. Doubts were however raised over the indelible ink that was used to stain voter's fingerprints after several persons managed to remove it. Accountant Christopher Ram like several other persons explained that he used regular bleach to get the stain off his finger which exhibited no trace of the ink. A veteran educator as well as a senior journalist also achieved similar results.

Dr Surujbally said later he did not believe the occurrence to be widespread. He added that overall the commission had received no reports of any breaches although there were a few irregularities at specific stations. On two occasions - at Eccles and at Wauna - the commission removed two presiding officers who deviated from the standard procedure. At Eccles, the officer allowed about 20 persons who were not registered at the polling station and who were not in possession of IDs to vote with ordinary ballots. Boodoo said the officer was removed from official duty and corrective action taken immediately. He said the incident was being investigated. At Wauna, the presiding officer issued tendered ballots instead of ordinary ballots to some electors. According to the law, tendered ballots are not to be counted. There was another irregularity at two other polling stations - the Sophia Primary and the West Demerara Secondary School - where stickers belonging to the governing PPP/C were found on the ballot boxes. These were removed as soon as they were discovered, although the occurrence it did cause some discomfort among voters at the stations. Dr Surujbally said the incidents were both upsetting and mind boggling since they occurred under the watch of presiding officers, their deputies as well as polling clerks and the party agents on hand.

By mid-morning the sorting of the non-resident elector's ballots was done at the commission under the observation of political parties and some local observers. There were 58 envelopes with ballots that were sorted for polling districts #4 (52), #5(4) and #10 (2). All envelopes with the cast ballots were sealed and dispatched to the polling districts for casting at polling stations that were supposed to have been identified. The envelopes with the disciplined forces ballots were also dispatched to the respective returning officer for transmission to the polling station identified for them to be cast before the close of poll.

GECOM has made arrangements for the transmission of a results display screen to all TV stations in Greater Georgetown. The results display screen would carry the periodic announcements and statements that will be made by the commission. Stabroek News August 29th. 2006

Official elections results by Wednesday -- GECOM

THE official declaration of results of the 2006 general and regional elections will be made Wednesday evening, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has advised.

However, Chief Election Officer Gocool Boodhoo will give the first progress report on the counting of the ballots at 23:00 h on polling day.

Mr. Boodhoo, and GECOM chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally and his Commissioners will preside when the official announcement is made at 20:00 h Wednesday, GECOM said in a statement to the media.

According to GECOM, it will deliver scheduled and unscheduled public updates, on a 24-hour basis, on the conduct of the elections, and will give accumulating totals of votes cast for each of the ten political parties contesting the elections.

Voting starts at 06:00 h on Monday and will close 12 hours after. Guyana Chronicle August 27th. 2006