All set! Joint Services ready to cast their ballots on Saturday

By Vahnu Manikchand

All systems are in place for members of the Disciplined Forces to cast their ballots on Saturday in this year’s General and Regional Elections – one week before the official day of the polls. Officials of the various agencies as well as the Guyana Elections Commission have assured that all systems are in order to facilitate the process.

Among the agencies that will be voting on Saturday are: the Guyana Defence Force (GDF); the Guyana Police Force (GPF); and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS). The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) does not vote on D-Day because the officers are usually from the areas that they serve in, this is according to Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle. He explained that the Fire Service traditionally votes on Election Day along with the rest of the country. “Our ranks are from the areas where they are stationed and we don’t have any (staff) in interior locations so we vote on E-Day (Election Day) along with the rest of Guyana,” he told the Guyana Times International.

Satisfied

GDF Public Relations Officer Lorraine Forrester related to this newspaper that thus far they were satisfied with all the arrangements put in place. She disclosed that there were 23 polling stations: some were located on the various bases and others such as the ones in outlying areas would be located in close proximity to the base. Asked whether arrangements were put in place by GECOM to ensure that GDF ranks did not vote more than once, Forrester  stated that the elections body will be taking off the names of the officers who have already voted from the national list of electors before the May 11 General and Regional Elections. Apart from this, she noted that the various political parties will have polling agents present at the various polling stations who will also ensure that these persons’ names are taken off the national list.

Across at the GPS, Director Welton Trotz also indicated to this newspaper that all systems have been put in place for ranks within his agency to cast their ballots. “On Saturday, we have arranged for the ranks to be given time off in batches to go vote so they will come in early and then go vote,” Trotz explained. He further detailed that the polling stations would be located at the Prison Service’s Sports Club located at the various prisons across Guyana.

For its part, the GPF has also related that it was ready. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Balram Persaud, disclosed that the Force has been working along with GECOM to ensure that all arrangements were put in place in time for Saturday.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally for a comment proved futile. However, in a brief comment to this newspaper, Deputy Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud related that “everything is on stream” to ensure a smooth flow on D-Day. “All that are supposed to be legally in place are in place,” he stated.

Previously, there have been several calls by the political parties, in particular the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), for the names of the Disciplined Forces to be taken off the list of national electors. However, Dr Surujbally had noted that there was no cause for alarm by the political parties.