Voting in Monday’s elections in Guyana proceeded smoothly, with only minor issues reported, according to Bruce Golding, head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Election Observation Mission.
Speaking to reporters at St. Gabriel’s Primary School, Golding said observers had visited 340 polling stations across seven regions by mid-morning. He noted that the majority of stations opened on time, except for one that experienced a delay due to a missing polling compartment screen, which was quickly resolved.
“By and large, things have been moving smoothly. All of the polling stations we visited, with one exception, opened on time,” Golding said. He added that some polling stations had small discrepancies in screen placement, which were implemented out of an abundance of caution to prevent voters from photographing ballots, rather than to circumvent procedures.
The OAS mission also praised the professionalism of election staff and the vigilance of party agents.
Reflecting on lessons from the 2020 elections, when disputes arose during tabulation in Region Four, Golding said regulatory changes have been made to prevent similar issues. “I don’t anticipate a recurrence of that problem… I expect that the tabulation will proceed smoothly. I hope it will be a result that reflects the true and free expression of the will of the people,” he said.
The OAS will continue monitoring ballot counting at polling stations and tabulation centres throughout the day, with a final report expected once the process is complete.
