Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
Candlelight protesters demonstrate outside GECOM chairman’s home
Holding candles and singing hymns and Christmas songs, dozens of protesters
Some of the protesters outside Dr. Surujbally’s home
held a noisy but peaceful vigil outside of the Durbana Square, Lamaha Gardens home of Elections Commission Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, last night to vent their anger over what they claimed were irregularities at the recent elections.
Kaieteur News understands that another group held a similar protest outside the home of Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodoo.
Police ranks were kept busy alternatively pleading and threatening the protesters in an attempt to get them to move from the scene.
The protesters remained for over an hour, finally dispersing after some agitated ranks threatened them with arrest.
But they vowed to continue their protest indefinitely.
The protesters are convinced that irregularities robbed their party of a greater share of the votes and they are blaming GECOM officials.
“We will protest as long as possible, until we get the victory that we looking for,” one woman said.
“We came in sun and rain (to vote); I brought out my sick mother to vote …You think is right that we votes went somewhere else? We are here to be peaceful. We feel very bad and disturbed (about the swearing in of the new Cabinet), without the opposition.”
Some of the protesters believed that a prominent official of the Private Sector Commission was in Dr. Surujbally’s home at the time and this incensed them even more. They were under the impression that a vehicle parked outside Dr Surujbally’s home belonged to that official. They were mistaken, however. The vehicle was Dr Surujbally’s.
Songs that the group sang lustily included: “We Wish You a Happy Christmas, and “At the Cross Where I First Saw The Light, and ‘The burden of my heart rolled away.”
Although the noise attracted other residents, there was no sign of Dr Surujbally throughout the vigil.
As the singing and chants continued, the police ranks grew more agitated and repeatedly warned the boisterous group to cease singing and about encroaching on the parapet near the Election Commission Chairman’s home.
However, even after the group agreed to cease singing, the ranks began to order them to disperse or face the threat of being locked up. One rank was heard warning the group that it was after 20:00 hrs and that they could be charged with loitering.
Eventually, with a final “We wish you a merry Christmas,” the crowd left the area, but promised more of the same in future.
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