Local Govt Elections: NDC official arrested for destroying PPP campaign material

A senior official of the Lancaster-Hogstye Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) on the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has been arrested and taken into custody for allegedly removing flags pinned on utility poles as part of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) electoral campaign material.
The Party is campaigning for the June 12 Local Government Elections (LGE).
Video footage seen by Guyana Times captured a male mounting a ladder which was placed in the tray of a 4-runner and subsequently knocking flags off the utility poles.
An official from the PPP confirmed that the flags were placed there by the Party as a part of its campaign paraphernalia.
Police said on Sunday it received a report from the ruling PPP/C that the Party’s flags were placed on light poles along the Manchester Public Road Corentyne and a social worker of Alness village, along with others, was using a ladder and pulling down all the flags from the poles and leaving them on the ground.
The Police release, which named the social worker, said ranks responded and picked up the said flags that were on the ground and arrested the social worker.
The social worker is said to be a senior official of the Lancaster-Hogstye NDC.
According to the Police, she was placed into custody for unlawfully removing displayed official electoral campaign materials.
Meanwhile, residents of Manchester Village told this publication that an NDC official was seen knocking down PPP flags that were on poles in community streets.
The Party said it also received reports that some of the flags it had erected at Sandvoort Village in West Canje also in Region Six were removed sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning.
There are provisions in the law which prohibit the removal of or damage to campaign materials belonging to political parties contesting an election. Offenders if found guilty can face jail time and also be fined. (G4)