Genuine community leadership is now evident

Dear Editor,
The ongoing preparation for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGEs) 2023 has stimulated the interest of a larger group of respected and influential residents within communities across the country. This obviously augers well for advancement of the transformational agenda being promoted by the PPPC Government.
It is extremely heartening to see that genuine leaders in all the communities around the country are now stepping up and demonstrating a willingness to be part of the local democracy. Indeed, the mechanism for persons to be elected to the various Community Councils is premised on sufficient individual or collective popularity within the specific Local Authority Areas to influence the confidence of residents. This is given the role of Councilors when elected to plan, advance, and deliver initiatives that will ensure community development and top-level complementary services.
As Nomination Day draws closer, the PPP/C is busy scrutinising the names of the volunteers that are demonstrating their willingness to be part of the PPP/C List of Candidates. Party activists are conducting thorough on-the-ground outreaches to nominate the best possible persons in the communities to be candidates in these upcoming LGEs. This bottom-up approach encourages inclusive objective partnerships that will strengthen our local democracy.
It is recognized that many PPP activists have willingly made way in support of achieving the bigger picture of a broader representative list of candidates, and this is very commendable. This exercised maturity encourages a balanced platform of inclusivity from which the generality of community issues and concerns will be addressed. The focal targeted blend in this regard includes respected strong prominent businesspersons, veterans, civil/servants, and religious leaders, along with youths and gender representations.
The foregoing approach is complementary even in the areas of strong PPP/C support, where the likelihood of defeat is hardly a consideration. Rather, even with the Party’s strength within some communities, genuine efforts are being made to take the country on a path to a more all-encompassing path by encouraging meaningful participation of all citizens. In so doing, the party’s leadership has also implored its members to understand the embracing of the thematic approach of governance by the people for the people.
These LGEs will certainly give rise to more qualitative representation at the Municipalities, Village, and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Instructive in this respect is the fact that Guyana’s diversity must be fully recognized holistically, bridging culture and forging a stronger unity among our people.
The PPPC has fearlessly attacked the achievement of this ideal with passion and vigour, with the exceptional work of our President, Irfaan Ali, and his hardworking team of Ministers leading the applaudable ‘One Guyana’ initiative that is making significant grounds in transforming Guyana’s political landscape. Undoubtedly, the non-racial all-community improvement approach is serving to inspire the confidence of many in participating meaningfully in strengthening our local democracy. Further, the notable struggle that the PPP General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo mounted during the PNC’s wicked efforts to ‘steal’ the 2020 Elections must continue. The overwhelming broad-based support the party received from the Civic component of society must be continuously embraced. This is appropriate and necessary, since wider participation at the LGEs will also open the local-level management structures to more meaningful inclusion and participation in the Local democracy.
For too long we have asserted candidates for Local Government participation based on strict political allegiance, which is in itself a limitation in certain instances. The time is most opportune for Guyana to recognize and put the best persons in the relevant positions to strengthen our democracy. This opening up will put an end to petty corruption and bring greater accountability to the NDCs. Young professionals must feel free to put their names and time alongside the community leaders in a process that must lead to inclusive governance at the local level, and eventually lead to greater inclusivity at the national level.
All eyes are on the list of Candidates for Nomination Day on 12th April.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar