AS the sun rose behind the trees at Pearl, on the East Bank of Demerara, a crowd of media operatives turned in the direction of President David Granger, his wife, First Lady Sandra Granger and their daughter, Afuwa, as the trio walked towards the nursery school at the corner to cast their votes.
Being the disciplined person he is, the President was a bit early; five minutes to be exact. He stood calm next to his family members, nonchalantly entertaining trivial chit-chat from social activist Mark Benschop, who asked the President if he had a good’s night rest; about the song, ‘Slow Hands’, and generally about his well-being.
Moments later, the staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) signaled that it was time to open the polls of the 2020 regional and general elections at the Pearl Nursery School, and the media operatives sprang into action, trying to get the best shot of the man seeking re-election to lead the country into the Coalition’s plan, termed ‘The Decade of Development’.
The President commenced the voting process briskly, and some GECOM staffers, who may have been nervous, were still standing as a mark of respect when the Head of State was being walked through the process of casting his ballot. As members of the media jostled to get the best shot, the President calmly voted, and, accompanied by his wife, exited the polling station minutes later.
“The process was very efficient; the staff were courteous, and the voting was without incident,” he said, noting that the only slight problem was that the cap for the ink bottle was stuck.
He said that he anticipated a “smooth and successful” process during the course of the day, and noted that not only was it a democratic right and duty to participate, but asked those who had second thoughts about voting to ensure they partake in the process, regardless of their political persuasion.
Noting that he was confident that the APNU+AFC would be re-elected, the President also expressed confidence that the voting process would be efficient, as that observers were on hand to oversee it.
He said he planned to visit other polling stations to ensure that the process was smooth and without incident, and later said he would then quietly await the results.
The president said from the time he entered office, he ensured that Local Government Elections(LGE) were held, noting that the ‘Coalition’ is totally committed to the democratic process.
He said economic issues such as the oil industry, has no bearing on the democratic process, and that he is confident that the Caribbean is looking on at Guyana as not only “a beacon of economic development,” but also one which leads in ensuring democracy.
Before he walked back to his home, the President chuckled as he almost forgot to pose and display his inked-finger for the numerous cameramen who continued to jostle each other to get the best shot of the incumbent President.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_03_03_2020