By Ariana Gordon

THE holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) for the first time since 1994 represents a victory for the people of Guyana, and not a victory for any political party or group, President David Granger said on Saturday.“The local government elections were…a victory for democracy and an opportunity for its inclusionary governance,” Granger said at a press conference at his Georgetown office.

The President maintained that he was not too bothered about the low turnout at Friday’s elections, indicating that the number of persons who voted in Local Government Elections could not be reasonably compared with the number of persons who voted in general elections almost a year ago.As an example, he noted that many rural communities and even an entire region – Region Eight – did not vote in Local Government Elections because they did not belong to a constituency as far as the regulations go.

“So I think the claims of gloom and doom and flawed elections are completely misplaced.”

The Head of State said the elections were very important to the people of Guyana, and that while some people regarded the elections as an opportunity to “flaunt their personality,” Government viewed it as an exercise in democracy.“The elections were a return to constitutionality after a lapse of nearly two decades under the previous administration.
“Citizens’ entitlement to participate in the decision-making in their municipal and neighbourhood councils has now been restored.

While in Opposition, President Granger had protested the prolonged delay in the holding of LGEs, and with his government able to pull off the elections less than 10 months after it took up office, he said the coalition government was “happy to have achieved this democratic objective.”
The historic elections, Granger said, were a re-assurance of the coalition’s commitment to continue working to empower citizens, to establish new towns (Bartica, Mabaruma and Lethem), and to enable the 10 regions of Guyana to embark on coherent economic development programmes.

Meanwhile, when asked by the media whether he believes that candidates that obtained the support of the major political parties, namely APNU+AFC and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), won because of the endorsements they received from the parties, the President replied in the affirmative.“Those persons have a shared vision; those persons share our vision for clean, green communities. They share a vision for an integration of the work of central, regional and municipal councils in the achievement of a high quality of governance,” the President responded

Notwithstanding the support given to candidates who are in support of the coalition government, the President said, the APNU+AFC coalition never prevented persons from contesting the elections as independent candidates.The President thanked all stakeholders who participated to make the LGEs a success.Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said Government has been able to ensure “democratic renewal.”
He noted that the administration was encouraged by the number of young persons who competed for a chance to represent their communities.

“We believe this is a very positive step and that, as an administration or government, we wish to embrace all of these persons irrespective of which political party…they came from.
“We wish to embrace all of them to ensure our communities are better managed and that they are part of that process where they contested,” said the Minister of State.He noted that the organisation of the elections by GECOM was worth commending. “It was much better organized, even in the polling places. The organisation was a little different and in my view it was very efficient.”

Harmon said, too, that the administration of elections here is becoming as it should in any democratic society, while noting that there should be “no shockwaves every time an election comes around.” The Minister of State noted that, come the next LGEs in 2019, the lessons learned this year will aid in the country moving forward.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan in echoing the sentiments of both the President and Minister of State, said he is pleased with the voter turnout on Friday, and dispelled statements on the issue.
“It is a bit premature to comment on voter turnout,” he said, noting that he spent most of Friday on the Essequibo Coast, and based on his assessment, “close to 40 per cent” of the persons there voted.
“If indeed the overall turnout is around this figure…I would say that is good…it would be a vindication,” he said.

LGEs were last held in Guyana in 1994. Friday’s elections represented the third such elections being held here since Guyana gained independence in 1966. The first LGEs were held in 1970.