As campaigning for the upcoming national and regional elections continues countrywide, we asked residents of Linden how they felt about the process thus far. This is what they had to say:
Interviews and photos
By Cathy Richards
Garfield Hoyte – ‘I think that governments have got to understand that they can’t rule forever, we need change so that we can get progress. My personal feeling is that when one government, regardless of who they are, sits in office for too long, they tend to get complacent; they tend to think that they are the only one who can bring a country forward and I don’t feel so. I feel that you should give somebody else a chance, let them make mistakes, we all make mistakes and we move forward like most countries in the world. That’s why the Gaddafis are going down; the Mubaraks are going down because you can’t rule for 25, 26 and 40 years, it just does not work. You’ll get a chance to rule again some time but you have to give others a chance. In the campaigning we need to be hearing about issues. What are we gonna be doing about health care, senior citizens; what are we gonna be doing about privatization.’
Marcel Williams – ‘I just want to know that this year’s elections run okay. No disturbance, no rigging and these sorts of things. The other thing is I want whoever gets into power to remember that Linden is a part of Guyana that deserves what other parts of this country enjoys. I want them to deliver as promised on their campaign trails. I want them to remember the days when Linden fed the rest of Guyana and now that we are in a different situation we need to be shown the respect as being a part of Guyana. There is so much yet to be done to Linden and so much yet to come out of Linden so they should stop looking at this PNC, PPP and black and white and Indian thing and work with the recognition that we are all human beings who deserve equal treatment. Stop this lashing out at each other; this is not the time for that this is a time for constructive thinking and actions.’
Ida Peters – ‘I need to hear more about how these politicians intend to deal with this VAT thing, I just don’t understand it and it is tearing us apart because it is definitely way too high when compared to larger countries and smaller countries around the world. I want to hear them address urgent issues like what is going on at the Multi School; they need to look into these things. They must not wait for when it is election to come and tell us that roses are red and violets are blue to get us to vote for them. Look at what are the pressing issues and get busy on them.’
Raymond Paul – ‘For me it’s a landslide victory because the general David Granger seems to be the most suitable man to run this country right now as far as I am concerned and I think the people of Linden see it and know it. More than that at this time we deserve some change in the government. For way too long one party has been having the upper hand of things and it’s time they step aside and allow for new and more innovative approach to development to take place much to the benefit of the entire country. What I admire about the APNU right now is that they are staying on the issues and when the manifesto is brought out to us that is going to confirm everything more clearly.’
Jenicia Nelson – ‘Some of the parties are addressing the issues but most of them are all about pulling down one another. They should seriously stop this nonsense at this stage and let’s have some real campaigning in this place. Let us see you taking the other party plan of action and ripping it apart by showing us it would not work and what you can do to better deal with whatever situation there is. That in my mind is true campaigning.’
Omotola Walcott – ‘I don’t appreciate some of what is going on in the political campaign. We could do better by dealing with issues and not personalities. The matter of dealing with issues is overshadowed by the slaying of personalities. I am not interested in you coming on a platform to tell me about this and that, and who ain’t got no children and no wife, who and their husband run Globe Trust broke and robbed a set of people. I need for you to be telling me now what strategies you have on the table to deal with the forward movement of this country. When we can do so then I can say we have true political campaigning taking place. I am young and you need to challenge me to vote for you on the ground of what you have in the basket that is better than what is in the basket of the other party. I must make the matter of casting my vote one of a serious study and I am not getting that right now.’
Delon Chapman – ‘This is my point of view, I think basically that this campaign that they are carrying out right now, most of the issues that they are stressing on are issues that are beneficial to us as a developing country. More than that they are dealing a lot with issues that are in the interest of young people, and that is what I am interested in. The thing is that I do hope that what they are saying when they are campaigning is what they are actually going to be doing when they get into office. Other than that I think that everybody got some valid points that they are stressing on and I just hope that they get the opportunity to put out the work.’
Reginald DeClou – ‘I am interested in seeing that everything goes well and that there is no corruption and such like. I want to see this country get better and I don’t know if what they are saying right now when they get on the stage is what is going to take this country forward. They got to start being professional and act like people with good intentions and intelligence. I just want us to have a better living standard right now. We are so much bigger and richer in resources and many other countries in this world yet they are doing better than us. We need to do the right thing and may my party win.’
Althea Simon – ‘I just think that generally that these political parties are only throwing what has happened in the past at each other. The past is everything the word past says, over with, done, gone. What happened back then are lessons for the future and the future is now so let us use those lessons for development. The thing is if you are heading a country it is your duty to do certain things so just do what you have to and not dwell on the past. All they are talking about is what Hoyte, Burnham, Cheddi and all the others did, they are no longer there, you are here now show me what you got, show that you really care about the people of your country and do the job of a government. No more fooling around let’s get on with the order of the day.’
