Dear Editor,
Democracy is an important ingredient for development. This is true for national as it is for local development. Indeed, there is a close correlation between national and local development. Because of the diverse nature of the Guyanese society, political power is more or less diffuse, with the PPP/C exercising executive power at the central level. Both the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC exercise political control at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) the National Democratic Council (NDC) and the Municipality levels depending on the number of seats obtained. In some important respects, there is a fair amount of power-sharing at the local levels, hence the importance of all Guyanese to get involved and become part of the decision-making processes.
The holding of local government elections on June 12 is therefore an important component of the overall democratic process. It provides for a renewal of governance at the local level including that of the municipalities. Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Linden, historically, were controlled by the PNC with the PPP dominating the majority of the NDCs and some of the townships including Anna Regina, Rose Hall and Corriverton. It is therefore refreshing to see the level of participation and excitement which the local government elections have generated on nomination day. The PPP/C is the only political party that has submitted candidates for all of the local government areas, an indication of its superior political and organizational strength. The AFC and the WPA opted out of the contest for reasons best known to themselves. The APNU chose to contest only in those areas which it considered ‘safe’.
Based on the above scenario, the PPP/C appears set to once again emerge victorious at the polls, including in some of the supposedly ‘safe’ PNC areas. Both Georgetown and Linden are showing signs of a shift in political support in favour of the ruling PPP/C alliance. A number of former high-profile PNC members, including former Georgetown Mayor Mr. Patricia Green, are now on the PPP/C list of candidates for the Georgetown municipality. The PPP/C had already increased its representational strength from three to seven in the Georgetown Town Council and with more persons of prominence joining the PPP/C team, it is anyone’s guess how the dynamics in the Council will play out after the holding of the elections.
From the perspective of the political health of the City, the introduction of fresh faces on the political scene is indeed a healthy sign and bodes well for the governance of the Georgetown municipality, which for too long was characterized by incompetence and mismanagement by successive PNC administrations. This coming local government elections holds out some promise that better days are ahead for the beleaguered City. It is now for the citizens of Georgetown to seize the moment and give the Council a new lease of life.
Sincerely,
Hydar Ally
