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Confusion mars Ramotar vote
It was no smooth sailing for Donald Ramotar, the Presidential Candidate of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic, when he went to cast his ballot at the Plaisance Polling Station, East Coast Demerara yesterday morning.
Plaisance is a community that is not known to have supported Ramotar’s People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which is seeking another five years in office.
Donald Ramotar expresses his frustration during the voting process, yesterday. Next to him are his wife Deolatchmee and son Alvaro.
Ramotar’s arrival at the polling station was greeted by the members of the opposition coalition APNU, who chanted “No place for Donald,” a catch phrase made popular by APNU Prime Ministerial Candidate, Dr Rupert Roopnarine.
Ramotar entered the Polling Station with his wife, Deolatchmee, and children Lisaveta, Alvaro, and Alexei. The crowd became angry, complaining that they had been waiting in the line.
Confusion erupted when the Presiding Officer and her staff demanded that the media leave the Polling Station. When the polling staff then closed the door to the polling station with Ramotar and his family inside, the crowd protested again, saying that the door to the polling station should not be closed until voting ends for the day.
As reporters tried to explain to the GECOM staff that it is customary for reporters to take picture of presidential candidates, she called the offices of the Guyana Elections Commission and only after being given the go ahead did she allow reporters in.
Even so, there was confusion as the Polling Staff processed Mr Ramotar, and he became visibly upset.
As he left the polling station, there were chants from APNU supporters of “Granger! Granger!” referring to the coalition’s Presidential Candidate, David Granger.
Ramotar expressed disappointment with the behaviour of the staff and the APNU supporters.
“I think that it is totally unfortunate because it violated all the laws and customs of GECOM. I don’t think people are supposed to behave this way.”
He said that the behaviour of the crowd was “typical” of the PNC (the major party in the APNU alliance) and of the Alliance for Change.
However, Ramotar said he was confident of the PPP/C retaining the seat of government for a fifth consecutive time.
“I am confident of victory; we’ve done a lot of work and so I am very confident we will win.”
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