Opposition to speak out on GECOM’s role on shaping boundaries

LGE 2018

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has again condemned the governing Coalition administration for tweaking boundaries in the Local Authorities system in a bid he feels will secure result in its favour at the upcoming Local Government Elections on November 12.
Speaking at his most recent press conference at his Church Street, Georgetown office, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary reiterated his stance against Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan’s June 8, 2018 gazetted move, which signals that there will be fewer constituency elections in 14 of the country’s Local Government Authorities (LGAs).
“There is the serious gerrymandering of boundaries. I’ve already pointed out the

reason for the Government doing this: because of their poor showing in the 2016 Local Government Elections and their need to create more local government bodies in areas they feel are sympathetic to them, and then, in PPP support areas, to change the configuration in the constituencies so that it will be favourable to APNU,” Jagdeo said.
Declaring that boundaries are being drawn in an “entirely partisan way”, the Opposition Leader pointed out that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has the constitutional mandate by law to draw the boundaries.
“[GECOM] has a lot to answer for, and we will be speaking more about this in the public domain; about GECOM’s role in the drawing of these boundaries,” Jagdeo committed.
He reminded of the situation in the Good Hope/Pomona Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), where there were reported attempts to merge two constituencies which the PPP had won, according to Jagdeo. One included the Middlesex area, and Jagdeo said the Opposition checked and there was no gazetted change for this area, and the PPP pointed this out to GECOM.
“We will dedicate a special press conference to deal with the issue of this gerrymandering of the boundaries,” he noted.
Speaking on the Minister of Communities’ press release on the justification for creating townships, Jagdeo highlighted that the Minister had said Bartica is the home of Guyana’s first boardwalk; Mabaruma has transformed the Kumaka Waterfront, and Lethem is becoming the business hub of the Rupununi. Jagdeo feels Government should focus more on the economic prosperity of the business operators.
“Bartica may have the first Boardwalk, but if the minister (Bulkan) were to just go down there and ask the business places how they’re doing, he will find out that the town has moved from prosperity into a state of depression. Many of the businesses that are operating there are going bankrupt, hundreds of people have lost their jobs in Bartica, but they have a new boardwalk to walk on,” he noted.
According to Bulkan’s gazetted order, from June, in Rose Hall, where the PPP secured victory, the number of constituencies increased from seven to eight. Additionally, reports earlier this year revealed that the number of allocated seats was reduced in several constituencies. These included Malgre Tout/Meerzoergen La Grange/Nismes Toevlugt/Patentia Evergreen/Paradise, Aberdeen/Zorge-en-Vlygt, Caledonia/Good Success, Woodlands/Farm, Zeelust/Rosignol, Blairmont/Gelberland, Ordnance Fortlands/Number 38, Number 52-74, Mahaicony/Abary and Adventure/Bush Lot.
The Order was made under Municipal and Nieghbourhood Democratic Councils (Participating Local Authorities) Order 2018. There are now nine towns and one city, Georgetown, being the capital. The towns are Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Rosignol, Rose Hall, Corriverton, Bartica, Linden, Lethem, and the newest being Mahdia.