Compiled by Anita Baker and Shemila Karim
(Interns with the Guyana Media and Communication Academy)
With Local Government Elections (LGE) set for June 12th 2023 in municipalities and neighbourhood democratic councils Stabroek News went into the streets to get the views of Guyanese who are eligible to vote.
Based on information gathered from a dozen persons, the majority will be casting their votes on election day while some were unsure and just a few will not be voting.
For the people who expressed a firm decision to vote, some said that they are voting because it is their constitutional right, some because they would like to see developmental change within their communities and the city, and some because they voted before and were satisfied with the efforts made by the Government.
One citizen, who preferred not to be named, said that he was born and raised in Georgetown. He is unsure of his participation in the LGE since he believes that none of the contesting parties has assured vendors along the pave of their security. He said “If I’m given some assurance that the Guyanese people who are plying their trade along the pave will be maintained in an orderly manner, I will vote because that is what I’m concerned about”
One 42-year- old vendor who gave her name as Oneica Forde, expressed that she wants to vote and had had her identification card for about 20 years but recently misplaced it and didn’t know how to or where to have it replaced. She said “I want to keep (Mayor Ubraj) Narine in power because he gives us a chance to sell on the pavement”. She is of the opinion that she needs to vote in order to maintain this.
Meanwhile, another vendor who identified herself as Royda Hattan said that she will be voting in the upcoming election. Her motivation for voting, she said, is her desire to contribute to the great need for change in the City Council. “If we get a change, we will be able to get at least a stall so as to come off the streets, because we are not safe.” She said that due to big businesses that are being
Royda Hattan
constructed along Regent Street, they are being displaced and construction materials and wires sometimes fall on them. Hattan said that she has always voted in LGE and has always had high expectations, although they are not usually satisfied.
Neil Rover, a 24-year-old resident from East Ruimveldt said that he will be voting at the LGE because he wants to see betterment for communities and the entire population on a whole. Rover noted “Right now, they are doing roads, and some lights have been put up, but certain areas still need betterment”.
Neil Rover
Gavin Lynch
A Guyhoc Gardens resident, Gavin Lynch said that his community has always been cleaned and maintained. He also noted that he will be voting because it is his constitutional right and he wants to ensure that his voice is heard”.
Another citizen, who identified himself as “Big boss” said that he has always voted at LGE and will be voting this year as he has seen much improvement over the past 10 years. He said “when I vote this year, I want to see more work done. I want the drains to be cleaned often, the garbage to remove from the roads and metal stands constructed for vendors because the wood stands would usually rot and look untidy”.
Some citizens who preferred not to be named commented that they will not be voting in LGE because they have no hope for any changes that are being promised. They said that it is only around election time that officials go into the streets to promise citizens better infrastructure, better community policies, and involvement in their needs, but as soon as the election is over, everything remains the same.
Mera Christian, a 25-year-old, a support professional at ITEL, who will be voting in her first local government election, commended the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development’s initiative, but she also said that this should be a longer campaign so the youths may devote their attention to it.
Mera Christian
“I think they should have a yearly campaign whereby all year within a few weeks or two months they have this campaign so that these youths can focus their energy in something other than clean-up or not working”.
She also added that is very important for people to cast their vote at the Local Government Election.
“Your words will be your voice, your vote counts and what you say will impact on how well your candidates will respond to you”.
She also mentioned that the government needs to finish the paving work being done on Mandela Avenue and that a playground for children should be constructed on Mandela Avenue.
Orin Jones, a 48-year-old vendor on Regent Street who resides in West Ruimveldt told Stabroek News that in PPP/C times there was no such thing as local government, but once the APNU took charge, elections for local governments were held.
“When PPP\C was in power we didn’t had no Local Government Election, five years APNU went in power we had two Local Government Election”.
He said that because the approaching local government election is so important, he will cast his vote. As a street vendor, he charged that while he pays taxes, businesses in the large building next to him do not, and he wanted the government to look into it. He added that the administration should ignore the conflicts between the various ethnic groups and political issues in order to advance the nation. The local government, he said, must unite and work for the benefit of Guyana’s citizens, regardless of who wins the election. The countrywide cleanup campaign was held on Sunday, and he was required to participate. He said that this was his duty because he pays taxes and also want the environment to remain clean. He also applauded the initiative in relation to the cleanup exercise done by Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development but noted that it should be a continuous exercises.
“It’s a very good initiative but you can’t just do it one Sunday or two Sundays and then six months after or eight months you have to continue doing it”.
He also stressed the necessity for the government to place trash cans outside of businesses and at each corner, making it easier to dispose of garbage rather than leaving it on the ground.
Another citizen, Mark Stoby, 48-years-old of Nabaclis said that he will be taking part in the polls. He said that he would like his community to have a new road and clean water.
“I does have to buy water to wash my white clothes because the water is not clean”, he complained.
