Joint Services cast ballots for 2023 LGE in smooth process – GECOM Chair

Atotal of 9,093 members of the Joint Services on Friday (June 2, 2023) cast their votes for the candidate/party of their choice for the Local Government Elections (LGEs) at 84 polling stations across the country.

After visiting polling stations on Friday (June 2, 2023), Deputy Chief Elections Office Aneal Giddings, said, “The Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Prison Service have a total of 9,093 persons across various locations in Guyana. It seems to be smooth, in so far as it goes, what we have observed. It is a smooth process. One station, for example, that I visited, it was a bit slow….in so far as what is reported to me and what I have seen here, it is a smooth process.”

In initial comments on Friday (June 2, 2023) morning, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, said, “I think the process is going smoothly….I am satisfied with what is going on right now and how they are moving, very quickly – well it takes time, but they are getting through the process.”

Further, when asked about GECOM’s preparedness for June 12, 2023, when Guyanese are scheduled to cast their ballots in the 2023 Local Government Elections, Singh said, “All systems are in place now. Commissioners have a way of raising issues (ahead of June 12) and those will be dealt with in due course.”

In February, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, wrote to GECOM Chairperson appointing June 12, 2023, as the date for the conduct of the polls.

LGEs are necessary for the appointment of persons in charge of local democratic organs. Local democratic organs which include NDCs and municipalities provide a link between the central government and communities; they are responsible for assessing the needs of residents and ensuring development at the community level. The last LGE was held in 2018.

Nationally, results for the 2018 LGE showed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has almost doubled the margin of votes between the Party and APNU and AFC combined – moving from about 24,000 at the 2016 Local Government Elections to over 45,000 at this year’s Local Government Elections. The difference of votes between the PPP/C and the AFC was a whopping 113,000 votes. Between the PPP/C and the APNU, the difference of votes was over 50,000. The results showed that the PPP/C won in 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and tied five others at the 2018 Local Government Elections. The

PPP/C increased its win from 48 LAAs in 2016 to 52 LAAs in 2018 Local Government Elections.

In the 10 towns the PPP/C, secured big wins in five of Guyana’s 10 towns: winning all the seats in Anna Regina, Rose Hall (12 of 16 seats), Corriverton (14 of the 16 seats), Lethem (6 of the 10 seats) and Mabaruma (eight of the 12 seats). The Party was successful in taking control of the Town Councils in Lethem and Mabaruma.

Meanwhile, in the 70 NDCs, the Party was successful in not only holding on to its support base, but also saw an increase in votes in areas that were seen as the traditional support bases of parties like the APNU. The PPP/C won the Buxton/ Foulis NDC, Region 4. The political parties contesting the Local Government Elections include the PPP/C and PNCR-led APNU, as well as independent groups and candidates.

Op-Ed: LGE - its importance, origin in Guyana

Local Government Elections

(LGEs) allow Guyanese to vote for local government officials within their communities, who represent their interests and improve their quality of life.

These local officials are responsible for assessing the needs of residents and ensuring development at the community level.

For context, municipalities, and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) have revenue-raising powers, and they receive transfers from the central government.

The local government organs are responsible for waste collection and sanitation, roads, dams and market maintenance, drainage, and irrigation, among others.

LGEs are therefore important, as they allow citizens to have a direct say in who will represent them and make decisions on their behalf at the local level.

It also gives citizens a voice in shaping the policies and priorities of their communities and ensures that local government officials are held responsible by their constituents.

Local government in Guyana had its genesis after the abolition of slavery in 1834. It emerged as a mechanism of freedom from colonialism, whereby the ex-slaves purchased the abandoned coffee and sugar estates from plantation owners.

A system of self-governance was set up through the establishment of a management committee in each communal village. This system was later adopted in the proprietary village and formed the basis for the emergence of a form of local government.

The period between 1845-1930 saw the enactment of several pieces of legislation that was geared to- wards improvement in the general conditions of the village councils.

In 1932, a decentralised system of administration through a District Commission was introduced and three years later in 1935, an ordinance was passed which provided improved methods of village elections.

In 1945, the Local Government Act Cap. 150. (Now Cap. 28:02) was consolidated and later, in 1969, the Municipal District Council’s Act Cap. 28:01, the Local Authority (Elections) Act Cap 28:03 and the Valuation for Rating Purposes Act Cap 28:04 were introduced.

The Ministerial Regional System in 1973 replaced the District Commissioner System of 1932, where the country was divided into six (6) administrative regions which functioned as intermediaries between the citizens and the state.

Given the limitations and inadequacies of this system, there was a radical move to enhance regionalism in Guyana.

The Local Democratic Act No. 12 of 1980 was introduced, which identified the local government system as the foundation of the democratic organisation of the state. It was perceived as a means of fast-tracking development in the communities by the communities.

To achieve this development, the entire country was divided into ten (10) administration regions, which were further divided into sub-Regions, districts, communities, neighbourhoods and people’s cooperative units, each being charged with varying responsibilities.

The Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Act 2009 changed the system of elections for the local authority areas, providing for Local Government Elections to be held in the now ten municipalities and seventy Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) (to use a hybrid system of Proportional Representation and First-Past-thePost.

Fifty per cent of the number of councillors of each local authority area will be elected through the proportional representation component, and the other fifty per cent through the First-Past-the-Post or constituency component. This system provides three opportunities for voluntary groups, political parties, and individuals to contest for seats in the municipalities and NDCs.

On June 12, 2023, eligible voters across Guyana will exercise their constitutional right to cast their ballot for representatives in the various local government organs.