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GNYC’s ‘Vote Like A Boss’ to officially launch soon
The Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) is signaling to officially launch its “Vote Like A Boss” campaign come March 21. The campaign is to bring out more young voters to the ballot box come Election Day.
This is according to sources within the Council who revealed that the body has also received support from other youth organizations to mobilize young Guyanese into voting at the May 11 Regional and National Elections.
“Other youth groups have indicated that they wish to collaborate with the Council in the upcoming campaign,” the source related. Furthermore, the campaign will be a collaborative initiative between the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Such support comes in spite of criticisms the non-governmental organization has received from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport about its legitimacy as a representative of Guyana’s youth population.
Both the Ministry and the PPP/C have labeled the Council a “self-appointed” entity without the substantial authority to represent young people at the polls.
In his criticism of the GNYC, General Secretary of the PPP/C, Clement Rohee, described the group as a “creature of self anointed interference”. He was referring to the involvement of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Projects which funds the Council.
The LEAD project was an initiative of USAID which focused on the capacity of Guyana’s Parliament, young people, women and Local Government Elections. Due to the involvement of USAID, the PPP purportedly raised “concerns” over the collaboration.
Rohee accused GECOM of breaching protocol, as his party felt that the Commission was over stepping their authority by collaborating with what his party labeled a “partisan body of youths”.
GNYC has since refuted claims of partisanship in its campaign with GECOM, as the body clarified that their involvement with the Commission will focus on engaging youth in a non-partisan way.
According to Tiffany Daniels, trustee member of GNYC, the Council’s participation in this year’s elections “has nothing to do with partisanship”. She added that USAID was part of the formal proposal process which the Commission deemed acceptable.
The aim of the “Vote Like A Boss” campaign is to ensure that young Guyanese understand the mandates of all parties, the voting process and their right to participate in the country’s electoral process.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, Guyana’s youth makes up over 60 percent of the population, while data from various countries suggest that youth participation in elections is less when compared to older citizens.
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