Cudjoe: 'First-time voters came out in Tobago West'

People’s National Movement (PNM) Tobago West candidate Shamfa Cudjoe said a large number of first-time voters from her constituency turned out to exercise their franchise in Monday’s general election.

Speaking to reporters after voting at the Montgomery Government Primary School, Cudjoe said the news was encouraging.

“I am excited by the news of first-time voters,” she said. “We have gotten news from our camp that a lot of them have come out early, from an early as 6 am.

“So I am really excited about that, when I hear news about first-time voters really coming out and exercising their franchise.”

Cudjoe said she is anxious to return to her work as a parliamentarian.

She said she hoped the election process would go “fairly and freely.

“We have to get back to the business. We spent the bulk of the last five weeks just walking and talking, electioneering and soliciting votes. And we just really want to get back to the business of state, ensuring everybody is safe as we have been doing all along, getting the economy running.

“We have seen a lot of news about elections over the past few weeks and we want more.”

Cudjoe said she is confident Tobagonians would turn out to vote, “and I look forward to the results later on today.”

She described her mood as excited.

“I have not had the chance over the past couple of weeks to just breathe, and today, I am getting there. I did what I had to do, go out, interact at the different polling stations and I am excited to see what the results would be later."

Cudjoe felt the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) had done a good job in preparing for the election. She said the process was smooth.

"I am confident that the EBC has done its work," she said, adding all covid19 protocols were adhered to. "It was interesting to see them sanitise every pen and stamp after use. They are on the ball with the sanitisation there. So I am very pleased to see that."

Cudjoe said there were no hiccups but would check in with other polling stations.

Ricardo Phillip of the Class Action Reform Movement also said the process was slow but smooth.

There was a consistent flow of voters at polling stations in Tobago West throughout much of Monday morning.