Jagdeo alleges plot to undermine PPP at LGE

Aug 17, 2018 News

Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo has called on the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) to launch an investigation into reports of a plot to undermine the stakes of PPP at the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE).
During his weekly press conference, the opposition leader accused elements associated with the ruling party of employing efforts to gerrymander Local Authority Areas (LAAs) in what Jagdeo has described as a bid to reduce PPP/C success at the elections.
“Without any consultation with the NDCs (Neighbourhood Democratic Councils) he has just unilaterally created these new bodies, but what is even more insidious is that in 14 NDCs he has tampered with the constituencies.
They have resorted to gerrymandering the boundaries and to creating new NDCs favourable to the APNU+AFC to make it look like they have won more areas,” Jagdeo told reporters.
He noted that the party met with the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to get clarity on the new areas ahead of the LGE which is set for November 12th.
The opposition had earlier accused the Guyana Elections Commission of keeping them in the dark on such matters.
“I find it unacceptable that until now we don’t have precise boundaries in many of these areas and no process of consultation which we believe in a basic tenet of good governance has been embarked upon.” Jagdeo also expressed surprise at plans to merge two large constituencies in the Bush Lot area, rather than merging smaller ones to reduce the number of constituencies.
He stated that the party is being told that there is no requirement to consult at the level of GECOM, hence the election body is moving ahead with some changes that may see the merger of several large constituencies in areas that are controlled by the PPP.
“They are merging the largest ones, because those are controlled by the People’s Progressive Party, so it is clear gerrymandering,” he stated.
The Opposition Leader noted that while the Government boasts about the practicing a ‘bottom up approach’, the expansion of the local authority areas is contrary to the commitment.
“It is Bulkan, who with the approval of his Cabinet, unilaterally decided that they were going to establish several new Local Government bodies, without consulting with anyone on the ground; without consulting with any of the political parties in parliament,” Jagdeo stated.
At the 2016 LGE, there were 71 Local Authority Areas which comprised six Municipalities and 65 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan has communicated to GECOM that Government has undertaken to increase the areas to 80.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News