“Peace and tranquility must prevail” – Dr Surujbally demands

By Jomo Paul

[www.inewsguyana.com] –Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally is insisting that Guyana’s post elections period for the 2015 General and Regional Elections be one that is free from violence.

Dr Surujbally’s statement comes after numerous reports of unrest have circulated on social media and in local online media in areas such as South Sophia, and other parts of Georgetown.

Dr Surjubally at a GECOM press conference on Monday evening demanded that “peace and tranquility must prevail” as he urged persons gathered at polling stations across the country to remain calm.

“I have asked that the persons who are milling around polling stations to disperse and go home,” said the Chairman.

He said that the ballot boxes that the persons gathered say they are safe guarding is of lesser importance than the Statement of Poll which will be posted outside the polling station.

The Statement of Poll will show which political Party has managed to attract the most votes at the polls. The Statements are usually posted after poll would have closed.

“Once that statement of poll is posted outside the polling station, then the ballot boxes and the contents of the ballots boxes are just for history,” said the GECOM Chairman.

Surujbally is also calling on the Presidential Candidates of the two major political parties to urge their supporters to respect the calm and let peace prevail.

“There is no sense exciting yourself over nothing really at this point in time…they have to address the citizenry of this country…we cannot allow a beautifully run elections let us not have a situation in which that which we have achieved is undermined,” he stated.

He retorted that seeing instances of what he has experienced as a youth come to past under his tenure as GECOM Chairman is somewhat depressing.