Local government and general elections should be held at the same time

Dear Editor,

I was present at the meeting in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday night when President Ramotar addressed a Guyanese audience of approximately 350.

I asked President Ramotar a simple question” “Please explain why these two elections [local government and general] cannot be combined, and save Guyana the exorbitant cost of holding two separate elections.”

President Ramotar’s explanation is as follows: The whole of Guyana is basically one constituency and one type of ballot is printed for the whole country, so for that reason Guyana must have two separate elections. Follow-up questions were not allowed.

This is my response. Print two different ballots, one with the candidates for national office (president and parliament); another one for each local government district bearing the names of candidates for the local district council. When the voter comes in to vote, hand him or her two ballots. It is that simple.

As a Guyanese who has lived in the United States for many years, it is extremely difficult to comprehend President Ramotar’s explanation or excuse for not combining national and local government elections into one polling exercise.

 

Yours faithfully,
Mike Persaud