Sitting APNU Councillor joins PPP/C to contest NA municipality

A sitting Councillor of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Esan Vanderstoop has now joined the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to contest the Local Government Elections (LGE) in the New Amsterdam municipality.
The PPP/C is the only party that has submitted its list of candidates to contest in every constituency across Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) which comprises 18 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and three municipalities.

Two of the municipalities are already controlled by the PPP/C but the ruling party is hoping to sweep the third at the upcoming LGE set for June 12.
APNU controls two of the eighteen NDCs and the PPP/C, 15. The Plegt Anker/Kortberaadt NDC is split, with both parties equally sharing the seats.
Head of the candidate list, Phillip Rose said the PPP/C will fast-track development in the country’s oldest town while Jevaughn Stephens – the agent for APNU believes that the party will continue to dominate the New Amsterdam municipality.
“We want to continue the progress that we started a number of years ago. When the APNU went into Government in 2015, we started a number of projects in New Amsterdam and unfortunately, we weren’t able to see it through but with fresh faces, we are hoping that new ideas come to the municipality and we want to have a mature of inclusion to make sure that everyone benefits from the services provided in New Amsterdam and we also want to challenge Central Government not to play politics with New Amsterdam. If you keep withholding our subvention, then we cannot do what we want to do. Over the past year, the Government has been trying to spend the money through the region instead of sending the subvention to the Council,” Stephens noted.

He further stated that the Town Council looks “politically bad”, as he called on the Government to ensure the town of New Amsterdam gets what it should.
APNU controls eleven of the fourteen seats on the Council.
Meanwhile, Rose said the party is contesting in all seven constituencies in the municipality. As part of the plans to turn things around, Rose said candidates have been out meeting with residents.
As a result of meetings held with individual residents, the party understands that there are a number of issues that have not been addressed by the current Council.
“The present Council, they do not have persons on the ground but we would have persons on the ground working with them. We are not looking for race votes; we are looking for people from across the board. There are a number of persons who did not vote the last time. People were distraught about the Council’s behaviour. We are trying to capture those votes,” Rose said.

“Garbage, overgrown bushes, and the drainage which have been left unattended – we will change that. We want people to know that whatever we promise to people we are going to fulfil. I want to make this clear that we will be working with the Government to make sure that these things happen.”
In New Amsterdam, two individuals; Mark France and Kenroy Henry are contesting the elections privately.
However, the PPP controls eleven of the sixteen seats in the Corriverton municipality and eleven of the fourteen seats at Rose Hall Town.
APNU will be fully contesting in the municipalities of Corriverton and Rose Hall Town, where the PPP says it is seeking to increase the number of seats they occupy.
Meanwhile, APNU will not be contesting all the NDCs but in some instances, groups or private citizens will be representing the party but only in some of the constituencies.
Krishandai Garib is an individual candidate contesting in the Canefield-Enterprise NDC. Garib, who is a strong supporter of APNU, said she decided to contest as an independent candidate because she wants to develop her community.
“We have a lot of single parents. I am speaking to you as a widow and we have a lot of widows who need help, young girls and boys too. I am looking at both the men and the women so if I should win a seat, I will to form a group.”
While she did not state the name of the group, she noted that it will be disclosed if she wins a seat on the NDC. (Andrew Carmichael)