Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Guyana, Bryan Hunt, on Friday said it was imperative that the local community members and each Guyanese be adequately prepared for the holding of the long-awaited Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled to be held on March 18.

Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Bryan Hunt

Hunt was at the time speaking at the launch of the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC)’s “Vote like a boss” campaign at the Herdmanston Lodge. The campaign officially launched in February 2015 in preparation of the Regional and General Elections, is aimed at sensitising and encouraging the electorate through every possible avenue to vote.

According to Hunt, it has been over two decades since Guyana has had a Local Government Election.
“Most voters, who are going to those polls, have not had the opportunity to vote for Local Government. How a country is able to function for two decades without local government constantly boggles my mind”, he told the small audience of Candidates, group members and members of the diplomatic corps.

He therefore endorsed the move by the groups saying that Guyanese need to be convinced that they should go to the polls on Elections day, since getting persons, particularly the youth to vote is a huge challenge.

President of Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) Dmitri Nicholson said the three bodies, the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), the Guyana National Coordinating Committee (GNCC) and YCG believe that they are better working together than apart. The collaboration he said is a move to help voters become more informed at the community level about their rights and responsibilities as voters.

He said not only will it be the start of something special, but will also demonstrate the cornerstone of what LGE is all about.

Trisha Tika of the GNYC said apart from reaching out to persons at the grass-root level, the campaign is also geared at reaching candidates.