Slow response to LGE at West Demerara Polling Stations

March 19, 2016 | By KNews | Filed Under News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....ra-polling-stations/

The long overdue Local Government Elections which got underway countrywide, yesterday, was not met with enthusiasm. Like most parts of the country, the response of voters in several sections of the West Demerara was described as slow and minimal.

The response to the LGE at Crane Primary School, West Coast Demerara yesterday.

Residents at Crane, Vreed-en-Hoop, Goed Fortuin and a few other areas along the West Demerara visited the Polling Stations “individually and in some cases, by the pairs.”

Many commented that they did not know the candidates listed to represent their constituencies but were only there to cast their ballots in favour of the party of their choice.  At Crane, West Coast Demerara   the residents expressed their reluctance to vote in the first Local Government Elections held since 1994.

One first time voter said that she only came out to vote at the insistence of her parents.

“If it wasn’t for them I would have stayed home because how I see it in this election people don’t even know who to vote for. We really don’t know these candidates.”

However older voters appeared glad to cast their ballots. Rookim Dey, 74, of New Road, Vreed en Hoop noted that she is happy to be able to elect people of her choice to look over the affairs of her neighbourhood.

“So in case anything happens we know who to blame,” the elderly woman noted while commenting on the low turnout by the electorate across the country.

Dey said that she believes that more could have been done by the LGE candidates to become familiar with the residents of the constituencies they are seeking to represent. “I think if they (the candidates) had gone around more and met with the people; the young boys playing cricket in the streets, the young women at the hair salon and so on, people would have had a better understanding of who they are and what they had to offer.

“Then, voters would approach the polling station with a better understanding of what and who they are electing.

Another voter said that he believes that the low turnout by the electorate is due to frustration. People are frustrated with the government and the opposition. “The PPP/C committed serious crimes against this nation while in office and the APNU/AFC appears to want to finish the job…

“The government has to do better than this if they want the faith of the people restored in them. If they want support they must deliver on their promises,” the man asserted.

Low voter turnout for historic LGE

March 19, 2016 | By KNews | Filed Under News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....ut-for-historic-lge/

After a 22-year absence, the much anticipated Local Government Elections returned yesterday only to be welcomed by a low voter turnout.

Several ranks stationed at the various Polling Stations stated that the process was indeed smooth and peaceful.

The start of voting in constituency 2, Tabatinga, Lethem, Region nine.

Polling Stations countrywide opened at 6:00hrs and closed at 18:00hrs.
Throughout the day, text messages were being sent to citizens providing the relevant information to assist voters in locating their respective polling stations and why they should vote.

A whopping 507,663 voters were captured on the Official Voters’ List and 1,562 Polling Stations were open to facilitate voting.
The Local Authorities (Elections) Act was amended in 2009 to include as many people as possible, apart from political parties to present themselves as candidates.

There were 83 groups, three political parties, 63 individual candidates, three political parties and 17 voluntary groups.

Kaieteur News met with some electors after they had cast their ballot yesterday and they expressed some concerns. The most common issue was not knowing where people were supposed to vote.

Some electors stated that the LGEs Polling Stations were different from the Polling Stations they would have visited to vote for the General Elections.

Many also said that they did not know who they were voting for; they just showed up because they were required to vote.

Citizens show disinterest as turnout estimated below 50%… Near empty polling stations tell story of Local Government Elections

March 19, 2016 | By KNews | Filed Under News, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....overnment-elections/

The turnout at varying constituencies on the Essequibo Coast was reportedly low on Friday as Guyana conducted Local Government Elections 21 years later.

Voting at Annandale, Essequibo

Throughout all of the Polling Stations, there was a registered low turnout.
In areas such as Dartmouth, Richmond Village, Anna Regina, persons were seen visiting Polling Stations by the twos and threes while in other areas, the number was less. In Windsor Castle, however there was reportedly a reasonable turn out.

Gaston Boston, a rural Sergeant of Dartmouth Village said that this is the second Local Government Elections in which he is participating. He deemed the process as a normal one. Boston noted that in his area persons visited the Polling Stations in Dartmouth randomly.

Another villager, Venna Pitman, said that it was her second time voting at the Local Government Elections league. Pitman said that she was motivated to vote because in her community, there is a great need for employment among youths.

Pitman said there were also a huge number of children who are unable to attend school because of the financial situation that they are facing.

Meanwhile, residents in all of the hinterland communities including Capoey, Tapakuma and Mashabo didn’t vote since those communities which are primarily Amerindian dominant are already run by Village Councils and the Toshao.

Last Friday, President David Granger and a team visited the Essequibo Coast where he attempted to encourage his support base not to be complacent, but to vote.

Granger warned that the Local Government Elections were crucial and it was important that persons vote to elect their local electorates since it would have been another of his promise which he fulfilled just eleven months in office.

Guyana hosted its last Local Government Elections in 1994.
T

he Anna Regina Municipality is currently administered by an Interim Management Committee. That fraction of administration would however be dismantled once the Mayorship is restored after the LGE. (Yannason Duncan)

Linden two families after exercising their franchise yesterday morning.

Unfortunately, this could not be said for the thousands of sugar workers who were denied the right to vote in yesterday's LGE. Sugar workers happens to be mainly Indians.

I thought LGE was suppose to be the cure all for the PNC. Where is the enthusiasm and importance these jokers were so stressed about? MAJORITY OF GUYANESE DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT LGE. Waste of tax payers' dollars.

The afc/apnu got a lot of mileage out of the cry for local elections and demonized the PPP. They cried that the people were denied democratic rights, now we see the proof is in the pudding as the people are already disenchanted with the apnu/afc in power. They are back to the Burnham days where they give up and accept their suffering. 

The fact still remain that the PNC/APNU called local government elections something that the PPP denied the people for over 20 years.

Living in the past does not do any good for a country's future. But let's thank the ABC countries for pressing David G to have LGE. This could have done under the PPP, had they served the full five years in office. Excuses are reserved for losers. Excellence is for people that look beyond failures.

I'm waiting on GECOM to declare final results before I comment. For now, I wish to address the issue of low voter turnout. The lack of a public holiday affected supporters of all the contesting parties, most notably APNU+AFC public service supporters and PPP sugar industry supporters. 

I think the low voter turnout in urban areas is related to people's disapproval of substantial salary increases for government ministers and parliamentarians effective July 1 last year, together with Finance Minister Jordan's recent statement that he supports IMF recommendation to limit salary increases to public servants. In short, public servants are not happy and that could explain their absence from the polling stations yesterday.

The residents of Linden do not care about local government elections.  Vote or no vote they know that the coalition government will take care of them.  

Low voter turnout could mean that the PNC will win in all the  municipal districts.

skeldon_man posted:

I thought LGE was suppose to be the cure all for the PNC. Where is the enthusiasm and importance these jokers were so stressed about? MAJORITY OF GUYANESE DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT LGE. Waste of tax payers' dollars.

I guess we should cancel all elections then, as if we remove race from the issue Guyanese don't care about that either.

We have a tribal census, Indians on one side, Africans/mixed on they other, with Amerindian jumping on what the think that the winning horse will be.

What should bother Jagdeo though was that his attempt to turn this into a referendum by showing massive popularity for the PPP didn't work.

The ABC Countries looking like FOOLS once again. People know the RIGGING nature of the PNC and the payments to Surujbally. So they decided not to waste their time. Plain and simple!!!!!

Read about the ABC in Citizen report today. It seem as they were up to their nasty game again.

I think that the PPP should be concerned about the low voters turnout and the results of the LGE. They wanted the LGE to be a referendum on the government. They were unable to get the votes out in large numbers. They knew that there was a high probability that the turnout will be low but staked so much on it. Points to the lack of political savvy on their part. Does this mean less disenchantment than they thought or is it the continued failure of their organization to get voters out and to mobilize support, to translate dissatisfaction to votes? They need to really study what happened here and decide how to move forward if they hope to win the next national elections.

If the populace are not concerned about local representation, why are we in the diaspora getting all worked up?

Zed posted:

I think that the PPP should be concerned about the low voters turnout and the results of the LGE. They wanted the LGE to be a referendum on the government. They were unable to get the votes out in large numbers. They knew that there was a high probability that the turnout will be low but staked so much on it. Points to the lack of political savvy on their part. Does this mean less disenchantment than they thought or is it the continued failure of their organization to get voters out and to mobilize support, to translate dissatisfaction to votes? They need to really study what happened here and decide how to move forward if they hope to win the next national elections.

No one should up to vote, and so the PPP claims that they got 60%. 

Funny earlier today the brown bai KKK were screaming that the low turnout shows that Guyanese don't care about LGE. Now they will scream VICTORY, even though Granger will remain president for ANOTHER FOUR YEARS!

They didn't win in the PNC strongholds, so what are their yelps about.

If I were BOTH the PPP and APNU I would consider that the low turn out suggests that Guyanese are bored with the current set of politicians. Should a new group emerge, BOTH parties might well have cause to worry.  ESPECIALLY if such a group is cross ethnic, and doesn't consist of the current cast, who carry huge amounts of baggage.

A low voter turn out isn't anything that the PPP should use to scream VICTORY!

Mitwah posted:

If the populace are not concerned about local representation, why are we in the diaspora getting all worked up?

When Guyanese in Guyana cease harassing overseas Guyanese for cash, then they can tell us that we shouldn't have an opinion of Guyana.

So if we think that weak local governance is a major issue, and a symptom of a sick problem, then we have a right to.

Cobra posted:

Living in the past does not do any good for a country's future. But let's thank the ABC countries for pressing David G to have LGE. This could have done under the PPP, had they served the full five years in office. Excuses are reserved for losers. Excellence is for people that look beyond failures.

What da fk are you on? Dam you are a first class bumbarass.

cain posted:

Cobra posted:

Living in the past does not do any good for a country's future. But let's thank the ABC countries for pressing David G to have LGE. This could have done under the PPP, had they served the full five years in office. Excuses are reserved for losers. Excellence is for people that look beyond failures.

What da fk are you on? Dam you are a first class bumbarass.

This banna is not the brightest bulb in the room.

FC posted:

cain posted:

Cobra posted:

Living in the past does not do any good for a country's future. But let's thank the ABC countries for pressing David G to have LGE. This could have done under the PPP, had they served the full five years in office. Excuses are reserved for losers. Excellence is for people that look beyond failures.

What da fk are you on? Dam you are a first class bumbarass.

This banna is not the brightest bulb in the room.

That's the shit the other Bumbarass Donald Dhump does come up with, no wonder he adores the fool. Dam