PPP/ APNU+AFC Supporters celebrate ‘Unofficial’ election victory

As the nation awaits the official results from the Guyana Elections Commission for the just concluded General and Regional election at which eleven parties took part, supporters of the APNU+AFC and PPP, the two main contenders at the polls, have already begun celebrating victory.

The ‘unofficial’ celebrations began on Tuesday even as the results from the regional tabulation began trickling into the respective parties and to the Guyana Elections Commission. While parties are usually in possession of statements of polls which could provide a general idea of the number of votes they would have garnered, it remains the job of the Guyana Elections Commission and or it agents to say who may have won in a particular area and by extension, the overall elections.

Both the PPP and APNU+AFC have issued statements calling on the supporters and the rest of the country to remain calm and allow the official declaration to come from GECOM.

However, notwithstanding the official statements issued by the parties, both sides have influential figures who have taken to social media seeking to suggest and give party supporters the impression that their side won the elections.

These acts are being done without any consideration for the supporters themselves, and their ability or inability to cope with the reality of a loss by either side whenever the results of the election are officially declared by GECOM. With the Statement of Polls in hand by the parties, it would be clear to surmise that between themselves, they have an idea of who may have won and allowing their supporters to celebrate victory could be part and parcel of a deliberate act of deceit.

The APNU+AFC Coalition in a statement Tuesday afternoon issued a statement where it thanked Guyanese for the patience exercised on Elections Day and implored it’s supporters to remain calm and go about their daily activities in a spirit of peace and optimism.

‘All our internal projections are positive and indicate that we will be returned to government for a second term to continue the work of building and developing Guyana” the statement from the APNU+AFC Coalition stated in part.

That statement saw the PPP/C issuing its own statement supporting the call for Guyanese to remain calm but condemned the APNU+AFC for projecting a return to office. The PPP in its statement urged Guyanese not to be misled and reminded that it was Coalition Leader David Granger who had earlier said that GECOM is the only authority to officially and formally declare the election results.

Hours after that, however, the Peoples Progressive Party Civic issued a statement where it called on the Commissioner of Police to begin taking steps to protect state assets and buildings across the country as the party was in receipt of information that items were being removed from some of these facilities.

“We expect the Guyana Police Force to discharge its statutory duty in protecting and preserving official records of the Government of Guyana and all Government and State properties.” The PPP statement noted.

The APNU+AFC Coalition then returned with a statement condemning the PPP’s statement about the alleged removal of items from government buildings and labeled the statement irresponsible and reckless.

Meanwhile as the two exchange words through press statements, their supporters are all fired up with the hopes that their respective political parties have won the elections.

The Guyana Elections Commission is still counting votes even as some regional declarations have already been made.