LGE 2018
…tied in 5 others
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Wednesday announced that based on the preliminary results of the November 12 Local Government Elections (LGE), it has doubled the margin of votes, resulting in the Party willing 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and tying five.
The PPP/C said the margin of votes moved from about 24,000 at the 2016 LGE to over 45,000 in 2018. The difference of votes between the PPP/C and the Alliance For Change (AFC) was a whopping 113,000 votes, validating the Party’s position that the AFC is a spent political force. Between the PPP/C and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the difference of votes was over 50,000.
The Party said the win was despite the gerrymandering efforts by the APNU/AFC Government. The Party has contended that the new LAAs as well as the reduction and merging of several constituencies was all a ploy by the Government to make
sure they win that area.
“Notwithstanding this, the PPP/C increased its win from 48 LAAs in 2016 to 52 LAAs in 2018 Local Government Elections… It is public knowledge that coalition Government created nine new areas as part of the gerrymandering effort to improve its showing at the Local Government Elections. Despite this, in two of the nine new LAAs, the PPP/C won control of the NDCs – the Nile/Cozier NDC, Region Two, and the Wyburg/Caracas NDC, Region Six,” the Party said in a statement.
The PPP/C said that tied the Lamaha/Yarrowkabra and Moruca/Phoenix Park NDCs which are new ones created by the Government. Additionally, changes were made to 14 LAAs via the reduction of 16 constituencies that were won by the PPP/C at the 2016 LGEs.
In Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), two of the LAAs where changes were made were the Evergreen/Paradise and Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlygt NDCs – in both of these LAAs the constituency seats were reduced from nine to eight, which resulted in the PPP/C winning four seats and APNU winning the other four. However, based on the PR votes, the PPP/C secured “convincing wins in these areas.” In Evergreen/Paradise, the vote totals show: PPP/C – 1094 (PR) votes; and APNU – 480. In Aberdeen/Zorg-en-Vlygt, the vote totals show: PPP/C – 1,059; and APNU – 390.
Changes were also made in the Bush Lot/Adventure NDC – an area that the PPP/C won in 2016 – which has now resulted in a tie between the PPP/C and APNU. The changes at Malgre Tout/Meer Zorgen NDC, which was tied in 2016, saw the PPP/C not being able to secure the majority seats.
Wins
Of the 10 towns in Guyana, the Opposition secured control of five of the towns winning all the seats in Anna Regina, Region Two; 12 of the 16 seats in Rose Hall, Berbice; 14 of the 16 seats in Corriverton, Berbice; six of the 10 seats in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and eight of the 12 seats Mabaruma, Region One.
“The Party was successful in taking control of the Town Councils in Lethem and Mabaruma from the APNU/AFC coalition, despite the use of State resources (monies spent on chartered flights, distribution of sports gears, bicycles, etc) by the Government to campaign in these areas in an effort to maintain control of the Town Councils,” the PPP/C said.
In Georgetown, the PPP/C made significant inroads, securing a total of seven seats on the Town Council – up from two seats previously held. At the 2016 LGE, the Party secured two seats based on the PR votes. This year, the Party, not only doubled its PR votes, coping four seats, but also won three of the 15 constituencies in Georgetown – bringing the total to seven, the Party added.
Over in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) the PPP/C recorded a 60 per cent vote increase as well as securing more seats in the municipalities of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). In Mahdia, the newly created town, the Party secured over 20 per cent of the PR votes and secured one seat on the Town Council.
“The Whim/Bloomfield NDC, Region Six, was another notable win. It was none other than AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo who declared that “there is a straight contest” between the PPP/C and the AFC in this NDC, touted his participation in a ‘mini’ rally and talked up attendance at the AFC leaders at a meeting at Auchlyne School – claiming, in one of his many vacuous speeches in the National Assembly, that the space at the school was inadequate to accommodate the ‘huge’ crowds. The PPP/C secured almost 90 per cent of the votes and 13 out of 14 seats in the Whim/Bloomfield NDC. The AFC had less votes in the NDC than the number of candidates and individuals on the Nominators’ List (backers’ list) that they submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission, proving our point that they had to compile fraudulent lists,” the statement said.
Another notable win for the Party was that of the Buxton/Foulis NDC in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
