GUYANA: Guyanese president Bharrat Jagdeo was expected to win a second term in the former British colony, as voters went to the polls yesterday under tough security to prevent clashes that marred previous elections.
Polls show Mr Jagdeo, a 42-year-old Moscow-educated economist who has promised to tackle rising crime and deliver improved services, is favoured to secure a second five-year term and will likely keep his party's parliamentary majority.
Tensions between the ethnic Indian majority and descendants of Africans have erupted into violence after past ballots. But officials reported no incidents yesterday and the capital was quiet after the government called a national holiday. Soldiers patrolled the streets, where colonial-style buildings reflect the legacy of Guyana's Dutch and British past.