Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Security forces vote in Guyana amidst ballot concerns

Friday, August 25, 2006

by: Gordon French
Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent
Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Close to 8,000 members of the Disciplined Services, which includes the police, soldiers and prison officers, officially kicked off the 2006 General and Regional Elections in Guyana on Monday.

During the process, officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) were called upon to clear the air as several ranks refused to cast their ballots on papers that were not stamped. In a statement issued following the confusion, GECOM advised that members of the Disciplined Services were not given stamped ballot papers to vote as part of the process.

"This was made clear to senior representatives of the Disciplined Services who worked closely with GECOM's Secretariat in coordinating the balloting by the Disciplined Services," the GECOM statement explained.

The Elections Commission said that votes cast by members of the Disciplined Services are to be stamped with the required six digit numbers on Election Day, August 28, 2006, at the respective designated Places of Poll, where they would be counted. "The six digit numbers are generated with collective input from Polling Day staff and Party Agents at the respective Places of Poll. Thereafter, the six digit number for a particular Place of Poll is used in the stamping of ballot papers used at that Place of Poll," GECOM said.

GECOM explained that the disciplined services vote will be placed in ballot boxes on Elections Day to be mixed and counted with ballots cast on that same day.

The new system was instituted by GECOM to hide the vote pattern of the disciplined forces amidst charges of the services functioning along party lines.

Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene confirmed that there was some concern, but this, he said, was sorted out amicably.

He, along with Commissioner on Leave Winston Felix, was among the first set of policemen to cast their ballots. There were reportedly no problems at Camp Ayanganna and 27 other polling places where soldiers cast their ballots.

At most of the polling places, observers, both local and international, were visible. In addition to the minor controversy over the stamping of ballot papers, several persons complained of not seeing their name on the lists.

However, GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, who was on hand at several locations to explain the voting process, assured that no one will intentionally be disenfranchised.

He said that some who did not see their names simply did not register at the places they checked.

It is hoped however that this will not affect the police planning for security on polling day since many persons in the Disciplined Services may have to exercise their franchise on August 28.

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