…APNU “sorry” for letting down Georgetown residents
By Jarryl Bryan
Critchlow Labour College was a melting pot of political ideology on Friday as political parties went to submit their lists of candidates for the Local Government Elections (LGE) to the Returning Officer.
Members of APNU en route to Georgetown’s LGE Returning Officer
These included the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), all contesting in the First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) categories of the municipality of Georgetown.
Both the PPP and APNU marched in with a large contingent as they submitted their lists. PPP Councillor Bishram Kuppen noted that the city has had enough of controversies at City Hall and that his party stood a strong chance at the polls.
“We’ve submitted a list of 15 names of candidates who we selected through intense house-to-house consultations in the communities,” he explained. “They’re all knowledgeable, they’re experienced, and they’re willing and ready to go to and overhaul City Hall. Because we believe City Hall needs to be overhauled.”
“Most of the candidates came out of the communities because they’re tired of the corruption. One of the things they’ve said is that the sitting Council has been there for over 50 years and they basically have nothing to show for it. They’ve showed they’re incapable of managing Georgetown.”
The outgoing Councillor explained that their full plan would be rolled out in a matter of days, but it would include a push for more transparency and accountability. He noted that City Hall is steeped in unaccountability and that the PPP would bring an end to that.
Too late to say sorry?
APNU was meanwhile put on the spot as they were confronted with a number of issues they presided over as the majority party on the City Council. These issues include the controversial parking meter project and non-payment of salaries and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) for municipal workers.
APNU Deputy Mayor Akeem Peters, who accompanied a large number of party faithful to the college, apologised on behalf of his party.
He noted that while they did not meet the expectations of the people, they still deserved another chance.
“We must apologise for not reaching the expectations of people. But what we must say also is we reached something that was in place for two decades,” Peters said.
Peters denied that previous Councillors were replaced due to their performance. He noted that the party wanted to give as many new people a chance as possible. When asked directly whether he himself was satisfied with his contribution on the Council since being elected there, Peters professed that he was.
Modest showing
The AFC, which was smaller in numbers than either of the two parties, is contesting the full slate for the First Past the Post and had 26 persons on their PR list. AFC Campaign Manager Michael Leonard downplayed their modest showing to submit their lists, noting that many of their operatives were at work in party offices or spread out.
When asked what new the AFC would bring to the table, Leonard alluded to former Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan’s agitation against the parking meters. According to Leonard, they would continue to push for wider consultations on such matters.
Another measure he said they would also push for is for public voting records to be kept for each Councillor. This would show exactly how the people’s elected representatives are representing their interests.
Besides the three parties, representatives from the United Republican Party were also present. According to Constituency 11 candidate Jason Hubbard, they will be contesting the elections in several Local Authority Areas (LAA).
Meanwhile, independent candidate Michael Williams will be contesting in constituency four. Together he and his supporters arrived at Woolford Avenue decked out in blue and toting posters.
With Nomination Day out of the way, it is expected that candidates will go into campaign mode before November 2, when the Disciplined Services come out to vote and November 12, which is Election Day.
