The PPP/C was last night emerging as the unofficial winner of Monday's general elections with enough votes to secure a parliamentary majority based on the results from 92% of polling stations.

The results available for 1852 of the 1999 polling stations showed that the incumbent received 174,155 of the 313,964 valid votes that were counted by the 8 pm update after it took eight of the ten electoral districts to amass an unassailable lead in the polls. The main opposition PNCR-1G coalition which accumulated 105,288 of the votes seemed on its way to recording its worst result in democratic elections, although it maintained a slim majority in Districts 4 and 10, which have been traditional strongholds. The AFC has thus far posted the highest votes for a third party since the United Force in 1964, receiving 26,094 of the votes. GAP-ROAR received 3,556, JFAP 2,426, and the TUF 2,345
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Though still to be worked out, the 65-seat parliament would see the PPP/C retaining its 34 seats, the PNCR(-1G) falling from 27 to 23 and the AFC clinching six seats. Two other seats were still up for grabs and one could possibly go to the GAP-ROAR alliance based on its Region 9 showing and the other to CN Sharma's Justice For All Party. The United Force, a parliamentary participant for many years was unlikely to retain its seat.

Chief Election Officer Gocool Boodoo was unable to declare the official results as scheduled last night without the completed count of statements of poll for all the stations although updated figures were released throughout the night.
The figure for total votes cast by the time of the update was 318, 631, with 313,964 counted as valid after the subtraction of 4,667 rejected ballots.

The figure of cast ballots represented a 65% turnout of the 492,369 voters in the official list, although the figure was expected to be adjusted with the declaration of the outstanding results. The numbers for regional elections did not differ greatly, with 316,318 ballots cast of which 310,891 were counted as valid after the subtraction of 5,427 rejected ballots. Like at the national polls, the PPP/C claimed the majority with 170,216 votes, while the PNCR-1G got 105,383, and the AFC 25,240. GAP-ROAR received 3,890, JFAP 3,251, TUF 2,482, GNC 146, LD 136, and PRP 128.

 

PPP/C on way to majority

The one sobering fact from the results thus far for the ruling party is that it is securing its majority with around 27,000 less votes than it did in 2001 - and this despite a high-energy campaign that blanketed the country over the last few weeks. Analysts attributed this to voter apathy and the battering the ruling party has taken over the crime situation.

The opposition PNCR was likely to get around 44,000 less votes than it got in 2001 and analysts suggested that this was as a result of the twin-track campaign it ran - pledging no elections without verification. In the end it contested the elections without verification.

Boodoo said he would not risk giving partial results and would wait for the outstanding figures, though he mentioned that he had started to calculate the allocation of seats.

Boodoo explained that by virtue of section 84:01 of the Representation of the People Act, each Returning Officer would have to make a public declaration at their district office before he could advise the commission. "This has been a very controversial issue in the past," he pointed out, "We are not going to make those kinds of mistakes again."

At that point, Boodoo confirmed that statements of poll were available for all stations save for two that had to be verified. He explained that there were some arithmetical errors that would legally have to be corrected by the Returning Officers, which held up some of the declarations.

"The law makes it quite clear the Returning Officers have to do it and that is one of the sticky areas we have on our hands right now," he said.

GECOM had given assurances that the final result would be out much quicker than in the previous three elections but with yesterday's deferral it would not be much of a change from 2001. GECOM had contracted an expert to advise on how to improve the speed of the final declaration and it is unclear whether any such measures were finally implemented.

Despite a much-vaunted campaign in Region 10, the PPP/C was likely to end with around 2,600 votes - significantly less than the 3,985 it picked up in 2001 and the 3,000 it claimed as the size of one of its major pre-election launch rallies in Linden. The ruling party was also likely to experience a decline of around 6,000 votes in its major stronghold of Region Six.

Based on the 92% results last night, the AFC had its strongest showing in Region Four where it notched up 12,900 votes and it also picked up 2,510 votes in Region 10 - just under half of the PNCR-1G's tally. The AFC also secured 2,733 votes in Region Three and 2,834 votes in Region Six.

Boodoo also assured the security of ballot boxes and noted that there were no reports of breaches. He said the parties had up to midday Tuesday to ask for a recount and since then the boxes have been secured and only a court of law could require them to be opened.