The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance leader Arinthia Komolafe says officials have a lot of work to do to ensure next week’s election runs smoothly based on yesterday’s advanced poll.

She spoke to reporters after voting at Gambier Primary School in the Killarney constituency. Mrs Komolafe, the DNA’s candidate for Carmichael, said she felt “safe” during the voting process, adding she was impressed by it.

However, she said the same could not be said for other polling stations, such as the one in the Carmichael constituency at Anatol Rodgers Senior High School.

“The process there was certainly disorganised from the beginning, even from the outside of the station,” she said yesterday. “There was insufficient space there for the voters to be able to stand.

“Of course, the voters initially were not allowed to come inside the polling station. They were required by the police to remain on the outside and we actually got started a bit late. We never entered the gate until minutes to eight, which, of course, you know the polls open at 8 (am), but a bit of the polls, most of the polls there got opened after the 20-minute hour but as the voting process got started it moved a little bit more smoothly.

“What we witnessed there in Carmichael and Southern Shores and Golden Gates, which is sharing the polling station at Anatol Rodgers, is that a lot of the senior citizens took advantage of the early voting, and it was unfortunate because a lot of them were (bungled) up on the outside.

“A lot of them had a long walk to get from the gate to the polling division and then there was insufficient signage there so persons didn’t know where to go for their respective constituencies and where to go for their respective polling divisions because quite a bit of the constituencies had multiple polling divisions.”

Mrs Komolafe said what was seen yesterday showed there was insufficient planning.

“It was clear that we would have some challenges but based upon what we are seeing here today, and I am going to be going throughout the island to look at the other stations, we have a lot of work to do over the next seven days if we’re going to have a smooth process on next Thursday.”

The Carmichael hopeful also said she thinks the 2021 general election, her party’s third run for office, will yield seats in the House of Assembly.

“The third time’s a charm and we believe that we are going to return seats to the House,” Mrs Komolafe told reporters yesterday when asked by The Tribune about her level of confidence headed into the September 16 election.