2018 General Election: 64-year-old makes it a point to vote

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Vikash Chandra assists his father Ram Chandra after casting his vote at Raiwasa Village in Rakiraki. Picture: Baljeet Singh

ON his first attempt at voting earlier this week, Ram Chandra, 64, boarded a small fibreglass boat to cross the flooded Rewasa bridge in Rakiraki to cast his vote.

Three days later, Mr Ram was again crossing the same bridge albeit in his family car accompanied by his wife and son.

Mr Chandra said of his experience this week, he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from voting.

“I came by boat the first time. I have a bad leg and I need to use a walking stick but I still got on a boat to vote,” he said.

“Today (yesterday), it was easier but even if it rained again, I would still come to vote.”

He said a lot of his neighbours came to vote while others couldn’t because the polling venue had to close early on Election Day.

Former Rewasa Village headman Semi Lomavatu said 312 people voted on Wednesday before the heavy downpours forced the closure of the venue at 4pm.

“If it stayed opened until 6pm, our people who were working would have been able to vote,” he said.

“But this time they will be able to vote and we will have more numbers.”

The polling venue had a voter count of 408.

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