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Holding of Local Government Election now a real possibility – US Envoy
As the International community continues to advocate for the holding of Local Government Elections in Guyana, Charge’ d´ Affaires of the United States Embassy, Bryan Hunt has indicated his belief that the new government has a real interest in the holding of such.
Flashback: David Granger and supporters protest the non-holding
of Local Government Election by the PPP/C government.
Guyana has not held Local Government Elections since 1994 even though it is supposed to be held every four years.
In the lead up to the General and Regional Elections of 2011, the People’s Progressive Party administration promised to ensure the holding of Local Government Elections by 2012. However, after the Party formed the first minority government in Guyana, the then President Donald Ramotar decided that it was “risky” to hold Local Government Elections while his party had such a political standing.
At that time, David Granger, who was the then Leader of the Opposition, led several picket exercises calling for the holding of the Local Government Elections.
He had promised that he will hold Local Government Elections when he got into office. Granger now heads an APNU+AFC coalition government.
During a recent interview at the United States Embassy, Hunt said that Granger, in his private discussions as well as public statements, has made it clear that he thinks Local Government Elections should be priority for Guyana.
“So I am quite confident his government will move in the direction of getting this done,”
Hunt added, “Obviously there are logistical things that have to be done to meet the requirements under the law in order to hold them (Local Government Elections) but I would say it is going to be something that we see in the not too terribly distant future.”
Touching on the fact that the previous government and the United States of America had a slight fall out over the non-holding of Local Government Elections, Hunt said, “It was not so much a disagreement with the previous government as much as it is was a basic premise of democratic governance that you need to have regular elections at all levels. Guyana hasn’t had Local Government Elections in more than two decades and that is a problem.”
Recently, the Carter Center released a report on its observer mission to Guyana during the 2015 General and Regional Elections.
The Center said, “Guyana has not held Local Government Elections since 1994, and the repercussions for development and the ability of government to serve its people are visible at the local level throughout the coastal region. The government should recommit to holding Local Government Elections utilizing the legislation that was approved in the last parliament as the foundation for a new consensus law.”
(Abena Rockcliffe)
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