It was slow going when the polls opened at 6am for the Debe South Bye Elections. The election was prompted by the death of United National Congress Councillor Purushottam Singh last February.
Monday’s bye election saw a three-way race between the PNM’s Judy Sookdeo, the UNC’s Khemraj Sunil Seecharan and the PEP’s Lorenzo Rodney Sammy to become the new Councillor till fresh Local Government Elections are called by end of the year.
Speaking at the Penal Government Primary School after casting his vote on Monday, Mr. Seecharan said he felt confident he will be victorious at the polls.
Mr. Seecharan said from all accounts, the elections process was smooth at the various polling stations except for a few hiccups. He said the party’s sub-agents were barred from entering the polling stations by members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission but the matter was quickly resolved.
As for the voter turnout, Mr. Seecharan expected the numbers to be impacted by the pandemic.
Many voters who spoke with TTT News said they hoped the new Councillor would address the drainage and subsequent flooding issue in the area. They also asked for better roads and more assistance for the less fortunate in the community.
Finally, they called for greater representation, and more visibility from their Councillor when elected to office.